For years, Nigeria’s indigenous oil and gas service companies have built reputations as dependable players in onshore and shallow-water operations. But the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says that is no longer enough.

On Tuesday, the Board’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe threw down a challenge: it is time for companies like West African Ventures (WAV) Nigeria Limited to pivot towards the deepwater segment, where the future of the industry lies.

Ogbe made the call during a facility tour of WAV’s fabrication yard, machine shop, and jetties at the Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT), Onne, Rivers State. For him, the visit was also a reminder of how far the company had come. He recalled awarding WAV its very first offshore pipe-laying contract during his years as Construction Manager at Chevron Nigeria Limited, a project he said was executed to his satisfaction.

“You have worked hard; you are a very good company,” Ogbe told WAV management, noting that what he saw during the tour was an eye-opener. He pointed to the company’s 50mm rolling mill, ocean-going vessels, fabrication yard, load-out equipment like the JASCON 8, and its 160-tonne crane as proof of capacity. “All the big players in the oil and gas industry are going to deepwater,” he reminded them, urging WAV and other local firms not to be left behind.

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While stressing that projects in the oil and gas sector will continue to be awarded through competitive bidding, Ogbe assured that the NCDMB remains committed to transparency and professionalism, and that indigenous firms now have what it takes to compete credibly in the deepwater space.

Responding, WAV’s Managing Director, Mr Michael Dumbi Amaeshike, thanked the NCDMB delegation for the visit and expressed pride in the company’s role as a long-standing service provider. For over 40 years, he noted, WAV has been “a showcase for what it takes to have a proud Nigerian company that portrays local content the way it should be.”

He also highlighted the company’s contributions to human capital development, noting that many of today’s leaders across subsectors such as maritime, engineering, procurement, and construction began their careers at WAV. He added that the company had recently delivered a major infrastructural project for a marginal field operator.

WAV’s Manager of Fabrication, Engr. Chimeziri Onwukwe gave a more detailed overview of operations. He explained that the firm is active in fabricating platforms, jackets, modules, tanks, and other critical industry structures.

He also emphasised its offshore base, which supports logistics and load-out services for marine operations, alongside investments in advanced equipment such as integrated pipe profiling and plate-cutting machines. Despite these investments, he admitted, industry patronage has been low, and he appealed to the NCDMB for support in showcasing WAV’s capabilities more widely.

The NCDMB delegation on the facility tour included senior officials: Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, Director of Capacity Building; Mr Ossaowa Andrew Uchendu, Acting Director of Finance and Personnel Management; Barr. Naboth Onyeso, Acting Director of Legal Services; Mr Ene Ette, General Manager of Planning, Research and Statistics; and Mr Suleiman Ozimede, General Manager of Facilities and Logistics.

By placing the spotlight on WAV’s achievements while challenging the company and by extension, other Nigerian firms, to embrace deepwater operations, Ogbe reinforced a critical message: local content success stories must not plateau. The future of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is offshore, and indigenous companies must be ready to compete on that frontier.

Meiza Nigeria