The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has called on journalists to scrutinise compliance with local-content rules and report more extensively on opportunities for Nigerian businesses, while launching a separate technical training programme for 60 young people.
At a media workshop in Awka, Anambra State, NCDMB General Manager for Corporate Communications Obinna Ezeobi said accurate reporting could help explain the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act and examine whether industry participation translates into jobs, manufacturing capacity and benefits for host communities.
Ezeobi described the event as part of the board’s wider engagement with media stakeholders. He said the local-content agenda extended beyond hiring Nigerians to developing technical expertise, strengthening local supply chains and retaining more value within the economy.
Silas Omomehin Ajimijaye, the board’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, said local-content opportunities should benefit businesses and professionals beyond the Niger Delta. He encouraged interested participants to register on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System portal.
Officials cited initiatives including more than 15 million man-hours of training, support for commercialising start-ups, equipment certification and a $350 million Nigerian Content Intervention Fund. These performance figures were presented by the board and were not independently audited for this rewrite.
Representing Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Information Commissioner Law Mefor highlighted the state’s potential for gas-based industrial activity. He cited an estimate of 30 trillion cubic feet of gas resources and called for development that could improve electricity supply, investment and employment. The estimate requires technical verification before being treated as a proven reserve figure.
In a related initiative, the NCDMB and Renaissance Africa Energy Company launched a 12-month training programme at Nigeria Machine Tools in Osogbo. The programme will train 33 graduates and 27 vocational participants in disciplines including engineering design, machining, computer-aided design and manufacturing, maintenance and document control.
The structure combines six months of classroom instruction with six months of supervised work experience. The organisers say participants are expected to earn internationally recognised certifications, subject to successful completion and the requirements of the relevant certifying bodies.
NCDMB capacity-building officials described the programme as a response to technical workforce shortages, while representatives of Renaissance, Seflam SGL and Nigeria Machine Tools emphasised industry collaboration and practical competence.
Together, the Awka workshop and Osogbo training launch illustrate two aspects of the local-content agenda: public accountability for industry commitments and the development of specialised Nigerian talent capable of securing technical roles.
