The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) have reaffirmed their commitment to advancing local content development across Africa. The renewed collaboration aims to establish African Centres of Excellence that will drive capacity building, technology innovation, and cross-border cooperation in the oil and gas sector.
This commitment was reiterated on February 27, 2025, when APPO Secretary General, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, met with NCDMB Executive Secretary, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, at the agency’s liaison office in Abuja. The discussions focused on deepening regional partnerships. It encouraged African oil-producing nations to leverage each other’s expertise, and fostering investments in specialized oil and gas services.
Dr. Ibrahim highlighted APPO’s plan to collaborate with NCDMB in establishing centres of excellence in key aspects of the oil and gas industry. He emphasized that NCDMB’s oil and gas parks—which will house Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and investors from across the continent—can serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives in other African nations.
He revealed that several firms had already expressed interest in investing in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, particularly in these parks. He further stressed the importance of intra-African collaboration, stating that no single oil-producing country has the financial or technical capacity to operate in isolation. Through stronger alliances, African nations can maximize the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and reduce dependence on foreign expertise.
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Dr. Ibrahim also invited NCDMB to participate in the upcoming 4th African Local Content Roundtable (ALCR) in Congo, organized by the Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Hydrocarbons. He urged the Board to intensify engagements with other African oil producers, sharing its success stories to help shape local content policies across the continent.
In response, NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, reaffirmed the Board’s dedication to strengthening African cooperation in local content development. He cited NCDMB’s existing partnerships, including its 2024 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Petroleum Commission Ghana and its 2023 collaboration with Senegal’s National Local Content Monitoring Committee. These partnerships, alongside capacity-building workshops, have positioned Nigeria as a leader in African local content advancement.
Ogbe welcomed the proposal to designate NCDMB’s oil and gas parks as African Centres of Excellence and confirmed that these parks would be completed and commissioned in 2025. He extended an invitation to OEMs and investors from across Africa and beyond to set up operations in the parks, emphasizing that Nigerian content development prioritizes domiciliation and domestication of capacities over indigenization.
Furthermore, he encouraged Nigerian oil and gas service companies to expand into other African markets while respecting local regulations and fostering partnerships with indigenous businesses.
Dr. Ibrahim reiterated APPO’s vision of reducing Africa’s dependence on external institutions for petroleum resource development. He emphasized that Africa must drive its own energy agenda through technological innovation and dedicated financing. A key milestone in this effort is the African Energy Bank, headquartered in Abuja, which will provide funding for critical oil and gas projects across the continent.
In recognition of Dr. Ibrahim’s contributions to Africa’s energy sector, Ogbe commended his leadership in the establishment of the African Energy Bank and urged him to continue serving the industry beyond his tenure at APPO.
With Nigeria’s vast experience in local content development and APPO’s commitment to regional collaboration, the partnership between NCDMB and APPO marks a significant step toward self-sufficiency in Africa’s oil and gas sector. By fostering knowledge-sharing, strengthening capacity-building initiatives, and leveraging homegrown resources, African oil-producing nations can collectively shape a more sustainable and prosperous energy future.
