For African countries that rely heavily on oil and gas, the challenge has never been the absence of resources but how to turn those resources into real economic development and opportunities for citizens. This was the central point raised by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, at the fourth African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) Conference and Exhibition on Local Content in Brazzaville, Congo.

According to him, African countries can only convert their hydrocarbon wealth into shared and sustainable prosperity when local content is placed at the centre of national policy and implemented deliberately.

The conference brought together policymakers, operators and local content advocates from across the continent to examine how African countries can strengthen the participation of indigenous companies in the energy value chain. Engr. Ogbe led Nigeria’s delegation to the event and also represented the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, at APPO’s statutory ministerial council meeting, where a new Secretary General of the organisation was elected.

Speaking against the backdrop of Africa’s significant energy wealth, estimated at over one hundred and twenty-five billion barrels of proven crude reserves and more than six hundred and twenty trillion cubic feet of natural gas, Engr. Ogbe noted that African nations continue to risk exporting raw materials while importing finished products. He maintained that the continent’s resources will only translate into broad economic gain when local industry participation is intentionally developed and protected.

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According to him, Nigeria’s experience over the past fifteen years provides a clear demonstration of what can be achieved when local content is prioritised. However, he stressed that local content is not simply a regulatory requirement but a strategic development approach. In his words, local content “represents our resolve to build indigenous capacity, retain value within our borders, and create sustainable jobs for our young and dynamic population.”

With the progress recorded under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act and related programmes, Engr. Ogbe reaffirmed the Board’s readiness to share its frameworks, digital tools and institutional learnings with other African petroleum-producing countries. He noted that NCDMB has developed models that can be adapted to different national contexts, including policy design templates, implementation structures, monitoring systems and compliance platforms such as the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS).

He further proposed the establishment of an African Energy Services Network to deepen collaboration among APPO member states. The network, he said, would enhance intra-African value retention by ensuring that fabrication yards, engineering firms, manufacturing clusters and technical service providers complement one another rather than operate in isolation. Such a coordinated approach, he explained, would support the development of a pan-African industrial ecosystem, with existing capacities in Nigeria available to drive continent-wide transformation.

Engr. Ogbe also expressed confidence in the African Energy Bank, established through APPO and Afreximbank, to support oil and gas projects on the continent. He noted that competitive financing is essential to scaling indigenous participation and pledged that “NCDMB stands ready to collaborate, providing technical expertise and project linkages to make the Bank’s objectives a reality.” He urged member states to demonstrate sustained commitment to the Bank to secure long-term benefits.

He highlighted Nigeria’s investments in infrastructure as evidence of what deliberate policy can enable, referencing the Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) Integration Yard at the LADOL Free Trade Zone in Lagos, which he described as a first-of-its-kind facility in Africa. With a storage capacity of 200,000 barrels of oil, the yard positions Nigeria as a regional hub for FPSO and modular platform integration.

He also pointed to the development of oil and gas parks in Bayelsa and Cross River States, designed to support local manufacturing of components and equipment for the industry. Additionally, the Board’s Centre for Research and Development fosters collaboration between academia, industry and technology start-ups to develop homegrown solutions for sector challenges.

On human capital development, Engr. Ogbe explained that the Board has trained more than 20,000 Nigerians in specialised oil and gas skills, creating a skilled workforce that other African countries can draw from as they expand their energy sectors. He added that Nigerian service companies are ready to form joint ventures with firms across the continent to deliver engineering, fabrication, marine and digital services.

Beyond his remarks, senior officials of the Board participated in panel discussions where they presented Nigeria’s local content journey, lessons learned and opportunities for application in other African countries. The sessions, moderated by Dr Obinna Ezeobi, General Manager, Corporate Communications, featured contributions from Directors and Managers of the Board alongside industry partners, including Cypher Crescent Ltd.

Across discussions, participants agreed that Africa’s energy future will depend not just on resource ownership but on the continent’s ability to ensure that value creation, skilled employment, industrial development and technological capacity remain within Africa.

Meiza Nigeria