NCDMB launches new portal and certificate to drive accountability in oil sector
Stakeholders, banks, and indigenous operators rally in Port Harcourt as the Board clarifies remittance rules and unveils upgraded digital tools.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has stepped up its drive for greater transparency and efficiency in the management of the Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF), introducing new compliance instruments and an upgraded digital payment portal to enhance accountability across the oil and gas value chain.
At a well-attended Stakeholders Sensitisation and Engagement Forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Board brought together chief executives of indigenous oil and gas companies, host community contractors, vendors, and representatives of three key financial partners – Bank of Industry (BoI), Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), and First City Monument Bank (FCMB), to clarify new operational processes and funding mechanisms.
Representing the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Director of Finance and Personnel Management, Mr Ossa Uchendu said the initiative reflects the Board’s resolve to improve compliance, strengthen partnerships, and ensure that financial mechanisms truly serve the purpose of empowering Nigerian companies. “NCDMB has been steadfast in promoting and enforcing compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010. But compliance must go beyond regulation, it must be practical, transparent, and beneficial to all stakeholders,” he said.
One of the key highlights of the Forum was the introduction of the Nigerian Content Fund Clearance Certificate (NCFCC), a verifiable, digital proof of compliance for companies remitting the mandatory one percent contribution under Section 104 of the NOGICD Act. The certificate, Uchendu explained, will serve as tangible evidence of contribution to the Fund, which is deployed to finance local content growth in the industry.
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The new NCFCC will take effect on January 1, 2026, alongside the launch of the upgraded one percent NCDF payment portal, designed to simplify remittance and improve traceability for all operators, contractors, and subcontractors in the upstream oil and gas sector.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive Secretary, the Manager, Services Utilisation, Mr Mohammed Ahmed, described the session as “a practical conversation about accountability, access, and empowerment”. He urged the participants to see the initiative not just as a compliance tool but as a mechanism to unlock new financial opportunities.
“This programme is the result of detailed planning, commitment, and collaboration between NCDMB and our partners. We want this system to empower you, not burden you. Share your perspectives candidly and help us co-create solutions that sustain Nigerian content development for the benefit of the entire nation,” said Ahmed.
Financial partners took the opportunity to restate their commitment to supporting indigenous companies. The Executive Director, Large Enterprises of BoI, Dr Ifeoma Uzokpala, described the Fund as a “shared national asset”, noting that the partnership with NCDMB has created one of the most effective financing models in Nigeria’s energy sector. “Access to finance must go hand-in-hand with responsiveness, transparency, and service excellence,” she said.
Similarly, Mr Mohammed Awami, Head of Specialised Business at NEXIM, commended the synergy with NCDMB, affirming the bank’s readiness to support export-oriented projects and technology-driven enterprises that align with the Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). “Together we can unlock new opportunities for Nigerian businesses in manufacturing, logistics, and energy services,” he noted.
Presentations at the Forum covered key aspects of compliance and funding: Understanding the NCDMB Compliance Certificate System by Mr Emmanuel Paulker Umeme; Navigating the Upgraded NCDF Payment Portal by Vascon Solutions; The Revised Community Contractors Finance Scheme by Mr Akintomide James of FCMB and NEXIM Oil and Gas Services Support Facilities by Mr Awami.
In closing, Mrs Fateema Mohammed, General Manager of the NCDF, said the event was more than a sensitisation forum, it was “a dialogue about sustainability, inclusion, and shared responsibility”. She reaffirmed that the Board’s mission goes beyond enforcement to empowerment, helping indigenous players grow in capacity and credibility.
“What we’ve started here will continue,” she said. “The next engagement will hold in Warri, and it will deepen this conversation. Our aim is simple: to ensure that Nigerian companies not only comply, but thrive.”
