The awards were given to highlight the leading lights deepening Nigerian participation in the oil and gas industry, including individuals like former President Goodluck Jonathan, who signed the legislation that ushered in the domiciliation of industry activities.

Former President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has received the Nigerian Content Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Champions of Nigerian Content Award ceremony organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Sweetcrude. The awards ceremony took place on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) 2025 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The awards recognised and rewarded individuals and corporate bodies that set the highest standards in deepening local participation in the Nigerian oil and gas industry, contributing significantly to national development.

Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Executive Secretary, NCDMB, while welcoming guests, noted that the Board had come a long way in the implementation of the NOGICD Act, recording landmark achievements in which outstanding industry players, individuals and corporate entities deserved to be identified and honoured. The time has come to identify and celebrate pillars of Nigerian Content who shall serve as a shining example of what is expected of others in the industry, he added.

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Dr. Jonathan, while receiving his award, recalled how he promptly signed the Nigerian Content Bill in 2010 when he was acting President, stating that an encounter with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni had prompted him. During the engagement, the East African president repeatedly mentioned Nigeria as a reference point for underperformance in the utilisation of oil resources. The award recipient said China was a shining example of where oil and gas industry activities have been domesticated, and that greatly motivated him. 

Senator Lee Maeba, who represented Rivers State South East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, said the former president was among the initiators of the Nigerian Content Bill and deserves special recognition by the NCDMB and Nigerians generally.  He appreciated the NCDMB for the success of the Nigerian content, lauding past and current leadership of the agency that translated the dream behind the Act into reality. 

Another top winner in the distinguished individuals category was Engr. Tony Attah, Managing Director of Renaissance Africa Energy Limited, was named Nigerian Content Icon of the Year. The award was for his time as the Managing Director of Nigeria LNG Limited, when he secured the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the NLNG Train 7 project and led his organisation to partner with the Board to sign the first Service Level Agreement (SLA) in 2017.

Other winners include Prof. Emenike Ejiogu of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), as Nigerian Content Innovator of the Year, and Ms. Iroghama Ogbeifun, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Starzs Investments Company Limited, received the Women in Leadership Award.

In the corporate category, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), now known as Renaissance Africa Energy Limited, clinched the Nigerian Content International Upstream Operator of the Year Award, while Aradel won the Nigerian Content Independent Upstream Operator of the Year Award. 

Other winners in the corporate category were Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited as Nigerian Content Midstream Operator of the Year; Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company Limited as Nigerian Content Downstream Operator of the Year; Dorman Long Engineering Company Limited as Nigerian Content Indigenous Service Company of the Year, and Technip FMC as Nigerian Content International Service Company of the Year.

On the winners list also were Bank of Industry (BoI) as Nigerian Content Financial Services Provider of the Year, and Thisday newspaper as Nigerian Content Media Organisation of the Year.

Speaking on the selection criteria, a member of the Award Advisory Committee, Mr. Wole Akinyosoye, former Operations Controller at the Department of Petroleum Resources, said measurable metrics were used to determine the winners. Awardees must have demonstrated operational consistency where applicable; must have contributed to enhanced utilisation and monetisation of gas resources as applicable, and must have improved on local refining where applicable in terms of capacity and energy security, he said.

Meiza Nigeria