NCDMB, APPO to Establish Centres of Excellence for African Local Content Development
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) have reaffirmed their commitment to establishing African centres of excellence for local content development. This renewed partnership aims to enhance capacity building and promote intra-African collaboration in the oil and gas sector.
The discussions took place on Thursday during a visit by APPO Secretary General, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, to the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, at the agency’s liaison office in Abuja. The visit underscored the need for African petroleum-producing countries to specialise in core oil and gas services and support one another’s areas of expertise.
Dr. Ibrahim highlighted APPO’s proposal to partner with NCDMB in establishing centres of excellence within key segments of the oil and gas industry. He pointed out that NCDMB’s oil and gas parks would serve as ideal hubs for these centres, accommodating original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and investors from across the continent. The initiative aims to replicate similar centres in other African nations, with several firms already expressing interest in investing in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Emphasising the importance of collaboration, Dr. Ibrahim stressed that no African country possesses sufficient technical and financial capacity to operate independently. He urged for accelerated partnerships to realise the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and reduce dependency on foreign nations.
With Nigeria’s extensive experience in the oil and gas sector, Dr. Ibrahim encouraged NCDMB to leverage its capacity-building initiatives to train technicians and personnel who can serve the broader African oil industry. He also invited NCDMB to participate in the 4th African Local Content Roundtable (ALCR), scheduled to be held in Congo under the auspices of the Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Hydrocarbons.
In response, Engr. Ogbe outlined NCDMB’s strategic support for other African petroleum-producing countries, citing memoranda of agreement signed with the Petroleum Commission Ghana in 2024 and Senegal’s National Local Content Monitoring Committee in 2023. He also referenced capacity-building workshops organised for various African nations and efforts to promote Nigerian oil and gas service companies across the continent.
Expressing enthusiasm for the proposed centres of excellence, Engr. Ogbe confirmed that the oil and gas parks would be completed and commissioned in 2025. He encouraged OEMs and investors from across Africa to apply for spaces, reaffirming NCDMB’s commitment to domiciliation and domestication of capacities rather than indigenisation.
Engr. Ogbe also commended Dr. Ibrahim for his contributions to the African energy industry, particularly the establishment of the African Energy Bank headquartered in Abuja. He urged Dr. Ibrahim to continue serving the African oil and gas sector beyond his current tenure at APPO.
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The partnership between NCDMB and APPO marks a significant step towards enhancing Africa’s local content capacity, fostering collaboration, and promoting sustainable development within the continent’s oil and gas industry.
