NCDMB pushes Pan-African local content deal for oil, gas growth‎

As Nigeria’s content board calls for cross-border partnerships to unlock Africa’s oil and gas potential
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‎The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has renewed calls for stronger collaboration among African countries to unlock the continent’s local content potential, Confiance News has learned.
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‎Strategic push in Namibia
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‎The position was presented during a strategic engagement in Namibia focused on African Local Content Opportunities and cross-border partnerships, according to a statement sighted by Confiance News.
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‎Representing NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu said harmonizing local content policies and building strategic partnerships among African businesses would help retain more value within the continent.
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‎Regional frameworks already in place
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‎Speaking on the theme “African Local Content Opportunities: Pathway to Economic Diversification and Development,” Dr. Halilu noted that several African countries already have legal frameworks for local content development, laying a foundation for deeper regional integration, Confiance News gathered.
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‎He said African local content should promote cross-border capacities as a catalyst for the continent’s industrialization, referencing key aspirations of the 2025 APPO Ministerial Council Brazzaville Declaration. The declaration, it was learned, encourages African nations to strengthen supplier capacity, support skills transfer, promote joint ventures, harmonize regulations, and deepen public-private partnerships across the oil and gas industry.
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‎Africa’s untapped capabilities
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‎Dr. Halilu also showcased Africa’s existing capabilities in fabrication, engineering, manufacturing, subsea services, marine operations, and project execution, arguing that the continent holds significant capacity that strategic collaboration could unlock.
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‎Lessons from Nigeria’s playbook
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‎Drawing on Nigeria’s local content experience, he highlighted the impact of a data-driven implementation framework since the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, noting that compliance monitoring and supplier development initiatives had strengthened local participation, Confiance News obtained.
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‎Partnership models on the table
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‎He said the future of African local content lies in practical business-to-business partnerships that allow companies from different countries to jointly execute major projects, outlining models such as prime-subcontractor arrangements, incorporated local content joint ventures, contractual consortium bids, and reciprocal market access alliances.
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‎Realizing an integrated African local content ecosystem, he added, would require coordinated action on regulatory harmonization, trade facilitation, customs cooperation, immigration reforms, and sustainable financing. He also endorsed a proposed Pan-African supplier database and interactive opportunities platform to showcase African capabilities.
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‎”The opportunities available across Africa can only be fully unlocked through deliberate and synchronized efforts that enable cross-border service delivery and industrial collaboration. The Brazzaville Declaration represents an important starting point, but implementation, partnership, and policy alignment will ultimately determine the success of Pan-African local content,” Dr. Halilu stated, Confiance News confirmed.
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‎He further noted that leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework and strengthening cooperation among African institutions would create new opportunities for indigenous companies to compete and deliver world-class projects across the continent.
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‎Global best practices shared
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‎During the first panel session, NCDMB’s Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile, Esq., shared perspectives on global best practices for strengthening local participation and maximizing in-country value in the oil and gas sector, it was gathered.
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‎He urged Namibians to explore practical approaches to supplier development, skills transfer, and enterprise growth, drawing lessons from other oil-producing nations.
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‎Namibia’s VP tours NCDMB stand
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‎Separately, during an exhibition tour at the 2026 Namibian Oil and Gas Conference (NOGC), Namibia’s Vice President, Her Excellency Mrs. Lucia Witbooi, visited the NCDMB exhibition stand, where she was received by Mr. Kikile and other Board staff, Confiance News learned.
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‎Mr. Kikile briefed the Vice President on the Board’s mandate and the transformative impact of the NOGICD Act on Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, stressing the importance of regional collaboration and knowledge exchange in advancing sustainable growth across Africa’s energy sector.