General Manager Corporate Communications NCDMB, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, participated in a Strategic Leadership Roundtable Briefing at the ADIPEC Energy Conference, at Abu Dhabi, themed “Delivering the energy the world needs: recalibrating upstream projects
By Peace Udugba — The Daily Torch Media
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) are exploring joint initiatives to increase women’s participation in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The collaboration is expected to improve access to funding, build the capacity of women entrepreneurs and professionals, and create more opportunities for women-owned businesses across the industry’s value chain.
The Honorable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, accompanied by Chairman of PETAN, Engr. Wole Ogunsanya visited NCDMB’s exhibition booth at ADIPEC 2026 .
A major focus of the proposed partnership is the $40 million Women in Oil and Gas Fund, established to support women-owned and women-led businesses operating in the sector.
The fund comprises an initial $20 million facility established by NCDMB in April 2021 and an additional $20 million provided by the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM).
Despite the funding commitment and favourable loan conditions, the uptake of the facility has remained below expectations.
The development was discussed when the UN Women’s Country Representative to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ms. Beatrice Eyong, led a delegation to NCDMB’s Abuja liaison office on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
The delegation was received by the Board’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, who represented the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe.
Discussions centred on capacity-building programmes for NCDMB personnel to integrate gender considerations into project planning, budgeting and implementation.
The meeting also explored vendor development programmes to prepare women-led businesses for industry opportunities, increased awareness of available financing facilities and possible affirmative procurement measures to encourage the participation of women-owned companies.
Eyong commended NCDMB for its existing gender inclusion initiatives and proposed a study to identify the factors limiting women’s access to the funding facility.
She identified possible challenges, including documentation requirements, business registration, tax compliance and inadequate awareness of the financing opportunities.
The UN representative also highlighted programmes being implemented by her organisation in women’s economic empowerment, leadership development and the elimination of gender-based violence.
Responding, Ezeobi reaffirmed NCDMB’s readiness to collaborate with UN Women, noting that the Board had introduced several initiatives to promote women’s participation and leadership in the oil and gas industry.
He disclosed that the Board, in partnership with NEXIM Bank, established a dedicated funding scheme that allows eligible women-owned and women-led businesses to access loans at a competitive interest rate of five per cent.
According to him, NCDMB has also established a Diversity Sectoral Working Group under the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF) to ensure that women’s concerns are reflected in local content policies and decision-making processes.
He added that the Board supports associations of women professionals across the energy industry value chain, providing platforms for networking, confidence-building and business development.
Ezeobi further stated that NCDMB had invested in capacity-building programmes for women entrepreneurs and business leaders in areas such as business sustainability, corporate governance and strategic management.
He said the Board was also supporting women’s participation in technical occupations and encouraging young girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
However, he acknowledged that women remain underrepresented in the oil and gas industry due to limited access to technical education, finance and commercial opportunities, as well as the perception that the sector is predominantly male-dominated.
He expressed the Board’s willingness to work with UN Women to address these challenges and strengthen gender inclusion across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Tags: NCDMB, UN Women, Women in Oil and Gas, NEXIM Bank, Nigerian Content Development, Beatrice Eyong, Obinna Ezeobi, Women Empowerment, Energy Sector.
