By peace udugba- The daily torch media
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has charged operators in Nigeria’s midstream oil and gas segment to strictly comply with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010 or face stiff sanctions, including project withdrawal, suspension and possible criminal prosecution.
The Board also reaffirmed that the Nigerian Content Equipment Certificate (NCEC) attracts zero processing fees, warning that the use of middlemen in its transactions is prohibited. It further cautioned that expired or misapplied NCECs would lead to automatic disqualification from tenders.
These directives were issued at the NCDMB Sensitisation Workshop for Midstream Companies and Stakeholders held in Lagos on Friday. The workshop, themed “Compliance with the Provisions of the NOGICD Act 2010: The Path to Industrialisation,” was organised by the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, with support from the Project Certification and Authorisation, Capacity Building, and Planning, Research and Statistics Directorates.
Speaking at the event, the Acting Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Omomehin Ajimijaye, said hosting the Lagos leg of the engagement underscored the Board’s resolve to extend Nigerian content enforcement beyond the upstream sector and the Niger Delta region.
“Today’s workshop is one of the key platforms for deepening engagement with the midstream sector. We are not focused only on the upstream sector. We are also doing our best to ensure that our midstream and downstream stakeholders are carried along in the quest for Nigerian content value expansion, and for the economic progress and energy security of our country,” he said.
Ajimijaye, who conveyed the appreciation of the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, described participants as strategic partners in the Board’s national mandate. He outlined four key objectives of the engagement: deepening understanding of the Act, clarifying statutory reporting templates, addressing midstream-specific compliance challenges, and strengthening collaboration between the Board and industry players.
He stressed that stakeholders’ feedback was critical to achieving the Board’s target of raising Nigerian content to 70 per cent.
The Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, reiterated that the Act mandates all operators and contractors to prioritise Nigerian employment and training. He noted that any project or contract valued at $1 million and above must submit an Employment and Training Plan for Board approval.
Bamidele highlighted the NCDMB Field Readiness Initiative, aimed at bridging workforce gaps created by retirements and emigration, and opening opportunities in the oil and gas sector to OND, HND and BSc holders through the NOGIC JQS portal. He emphasised that NCEC processing is completely free, middlemen are banned, and companies must own — not lease — certified equipment.
Delivering a technical presentation, the Supervisor of the Project Certification and Authorisation Directorate, Mr. Elvis Ogede, explained that every operator is statutorily required to submit a Nigerian Content Plan in line with Sections 7 and 8 of the Act.
“With respect to your scope of work, we expect you to set achievable targets based on existing in-country capacity,” he said.
Ogede outlined five mandatory engagement points with the Board, including submission of a Nigerian Content Plan; approval of selective or sole-source contracting strategies; review of invitation-to-tender documents; participation in bid openings; and submission of technical and commercial evaluation reports before issuance of the Nigerian Content Compliance Commitment (NCCC).
He clarified that the NCCC is not proof of past compliance but a binding commitment subject to monitoring. He also warned that Memoranda of Association can no longer substitute for valid NCECs, and that service-specific certification is mandatory.
The Deputy Manager of the Midstream Monitoring Division, Mr. Damola Aderibigbe, detailed the Board’s monitoring framework, which covers performance, compliance and intervention monitoring across upstream, midstream and downstream operations.
“We do not just monitor activities — we measure performance against commitment,” he said, listing 14 statutory reports required from companies and identifying late or incomplete submissions as the most common compliance failures.
Aderibigbe added that engineering firms must possess corporate Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) accreditation, not just individual staff certification, warning that non-compliance could lead to remediation directives, suspension, legal action or project withdrawal.
The Supervisor of the Planning, Research and Statistics Directorate, Mr. Emmanuel Paulker, disclosed that the NOGIC JQS portal has registered 406,000 individuals and 11,445 companies, including 115 operators, though much of the midstream sector remains outside the system.
He revealed that 1,603 expatriate quota applications had been processed, with 1,417 approvals, generating 13,833 employment commitments. He warned that companies must secure NCDMB approval before approaching the Federal Ministry of Interior for expatriate quota processing, describing any deviation as a violation of the law.
In his vote of thanks, the Supervisor of the Midstream Monitoring Division, Engr. Pius Waritimi, reiterated that compliance commitments are binding and urged stakeholders to engage the Board early. He also encouraged participation in the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and relevant Sectoral Working Groups to address industry concerns constructively.
The workshop forms part of the Board’s broader drive to strengthen compliance and accelerate industrialisation through increased Nigerian content participation across the oil and gas value chain.
