NCDMB Highlights Nigerian Content Development at NLNG Stakeholders’ Retreat 2025
The NCDMB Highlights Nigerian Content Development at NLNG Stakeholders’ Retreat 2025 took centre stage as top officials of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB) delivered a series of presentations showcasing key programmes, platforms, and opportunities available to industry stakeholders at the ongoing NLNG Nigerian Content Stakeholders’ Retreat and Appreciation Night 2025.
Dr. Victor Babarinde Olumuyiwa, Deputy Manager, NOGIC Joint Qualification System (JQS), NCDMB, led the session with a detailed presentation on the processes and operations of the NOGIC JQS platform. He outlined the portal’s major features, user categories, registration requirements, and the wide-ranging benefits it offers to companies and professionals across the oil and gas value chain.
He also presented updated facts and figures, alongside an overview of the JQS webpages, reaffirming that the platform remains an essential resource for accessing skilled manpower and enhancing business visibility within the industry.
In a separate presentation, Mr. Tari Bufazi, Deputy Manager, Human Capital Development (HCD), NCDMB, explained the Board’s Field Readiness Training Programme and its impact on building a competent Nigerian workforce. He highlighted the Board’s mandate, HCD initiatives, and key successes, while listing the industry’s top ten in-demand skills, including Subsea Engineering, Underwater Welding Engineering, Control and Automation Engineering, Drilling Engineering, Helicopter Piloting, Marine Operations, Production & Maintenance Engineering, QA/QC Engineering (NDT I–III), Geoscience Engineering, and Digitalisation (AI and drones).
Mr. Bufazi emphasised that true local content growth requires more than certification for bidding purposes, stressing the need for genuine capacity building, strategic investments, and domestication of industry competencies. He added that the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe (FNSE, FIPS), and the Director, Capacity Building Division, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, remain committed to developing young Nigerians through specialised training in these critical skill areas.
Also speaking, Mr. Livinus Ofure, Supervisor, NCDF, representing the General Manager, NCDF, Mrs. Fateemah Mohammed, delivered a comprehensive presentation on Funding Opportunities under the Nigerian Content Intervention (NCI) Fund.
He noted that the NCI Fund—a capital pool sourced from the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF)—is designed to provide accessible financing for indigenous service companies and other industry participants. His presentation covered the NCI Fund, the Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGaPS), and the Revised Community Contractors Finance (CCF) Scheme.
Mr. Livinus revealed that no funding has yet been accessed under the CCF Scheme and encouraged stakeholders to leverage the opportunity. He added that the Board has recorded significant progress across several flagship initiatives, made possible through its structured financing programmes.
From the Project Certification and Authorization Division (PCAD), Mr. Ogede Elvis delivered a presentation titled “Tendering and Compliance for Community Vendors in Contracting.” He outlined PCAD’s mandate, opportunities for community vendors, key requirements for Expression of Interest (EOI) and technical submissions, as well as enablers and identified capacity-building needs. Mr. Elvis reaffirmed PCAD’s mission to maximise Nigerian Content in all industry projects and ensure operators make clear content commitments in line with the NOGICD Act of 2010.
Similarly, Mr. Ismail Abubakar of the Monitoring and Evaluation Department clarified a major misconception around Nigerian Content, noting that the objective is not the “Nigerianisation” of the oil and gas sector but rather the domiciliation and domestication of value-adding activities in-country. He highlighted the Board’s monitoring focus areas and underscored the consequences of non-compliance, which include cancellation or suspension of projects, punitive CDIs, fines, and potential prosecution under the Act’s criminal provisions.
Rounding off the series of presentations, Mr. Augustine Timbiri, Manager, Rivers Zonal Office, NCDMB, spoke on “Promoting Host Communities’ Participation in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry.” He provided insights into the Community Content Guideline, host community participation requirements, the contractors’ verification process, and the Board’s mandate in promoting inclusion.
Mr. Timbiri stressed that the NCDMB remains dedicated to fostering trust, improving service delivery, strengthening collaboration, and ensuring uninterrupted operations through deeper involvement of host community contractors.
The retreat continues to serve as a vital platform for stakeholders to exchange insights, deepen collaboration, and reinforce commitments toward advancing Nigerian Content development across the oil and gas sector.
