JAMES OKONKWO
Nigeria has long aspired to build a strong industrial base that can drive growth, create decent jobs and reduce dependence on foreign expertise. The goal has been to create a self-reliant economy where Nigerians not only extract raw resources, but also develop, manufacture, and manage the industries that shape national prosperity. If the economic history of Africa’s most populous country has taught the nation any lessons, too among those is the lesson that achieving the above stated goals require more than ambition. It demands patient investment in people, technology, and domestic enterprise.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is one of the institutions central to this journey. Established in 2010 under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, the Board was created to increase the participation of Nigerians in the oil and gas sector. It is headquartered in Yenagoa, in the heart of the oil rich Niger Delta, and serves as the vehicle for ensuring that Nigerian workers, contractors and innovators play a leading role in the country’s most strategic industry. Over time, NCDMB has evolved from a regulatory body to a development catalyst. One area where the Board’s policy focuses under the leadership of the current Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has been more pronounced has been in Capacity Building. Under Ogbe, the Board has been shaping skills, strengthening businesses and widening opportunities for Nigerians, especially young people across the country to gain valuable life changing skills.
Over the last few years, NCDMB has shifted from policy discussions to practical actions. It has trained thousands of Nigerians, supported local firms and designed programmes that place more Nigerian hands and minds along the oil and gas value chain. The result is a growing pool of trained personnel, stronger local companies and a clearer path for citizens to benefit directly from the country’s energy wealth.
A clearer focus on training where work is done has been key. The Board’s project-based Human Capital Development programmes place trainees inside active worksites where they learn on real equipment and real projects. The collaboration with Nigeria LNG on Train 7 illustrates this approach. In line with the strategic focus of the NCDMB under Ogbe, since late 2024, the Board and Nigeria LNG have run multiple cohorts, including a set of 331 trainees in November 2024 and another 140 advanced trainees in 2025 at Finima, Bonny Island. These courses cover engineering trades, welding and fabrication, health and safety, quality assurance, ICT, data analytics and supply chain operations. The objective is to prepare Nigerians for demanding roles, not theoretical ones.
This training effort goes beyond one project. The Board continues to sponsor specialised courses in solar installation, facility management and supplier-specific technical skills. Each cohort may number from a few dozen to several hundred participants, gradually building a layered pipeline of technicians, engineers and site-ready personnel.
While training grows the workforce, the Board also strengthens Nigerian companies through its Project 100 initiative. Launched in 2019 and expanded in 2021, the programme began with 60 firms and has since broadened to include more indigenous service providers. Beneficiary companies receive mentoring, technical support and help accessing markets and partnerships. Project100 was designed and has been sustained with a simple and clear logo, namely: when Nigerian firms grow, they hire more Nigerians, retain skills locally and keep more value inside the country.
With the sustained support of the NCDMB, these firms have participated in international business missions, networking platforms and capacity-building workshops. Many now operate across fabrication, engineering services and project support. Their growth shows that local talent and local enterprise can compete when given the right support.
All of these sit within a wider strategy. The NOGICD Act provides the framework that guides Nigerian participation in the oil and gas industry. The Board’s 10-year Strategic Roadmap emphasises linking training to real projects so skills translate to jobs. This was evident in the recent Advanced Human Capacity Development training under Train 7 in Bonny Island, where several trainees secured employment after completing their programme.
Another particularly meaningful initiative under Engr Ogbe is the “Back to the Creeks” programme. It focuses on strengthening basic education, supporting teachers and developing local skills in oil-producing riverine areas. The intention is to ensure that communities hosting the Oil and Gas industry benefit from its opportunities and that the next generation of technicians and engineers can emerge from their own environments without barriers. This initiative appears to be designed in line with the age-old demand by the host communities to be given a sense of belonging in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry through employment opportunities. For years, oil producing communities have complained that their indigenes are not being employed while outsiders man the companies in their land. The Back to Creeks initiative will likely go a long way in aiding the inclusion of the local people in the firms operating in their domains.
The scale of the Board’s effort is significant. Public records indicate millions of training hours and thousands of beneficiaries. Over time, this could translate into thousands more trained Nigerians entering supervisory and specialised technical roles. It is a meaningful contribution to job creation and industrial inclusion.
Recent collaborations further reinforce this trajectory. Partnerships with Green Energy International Limited and training centres such as the Centre for Marine and Offshore Technology Development at the Rivers State University have produced certified graduates in advanced technical fields from automation to process design to big data analytics. For instance, the Board inspected and supported the training of 305 youths at the Centre for Marine and Offshore Technology Development (CMOTD), Rivers State University, covering seven advanced technical areas, including automation, instrumentation, process piping design, and big data analytics. These initiatives complement the NCDMB’s 60-20-20 Human Capacity Development strategy, which allocates 60 percent of training to employment and entrepreneurship, 20 percent to advanced certification, and 20 percent to job-entry level programmes. In other words, Board’s 60-20-20 Human Capacity Development strategy allocates most training to direct employment and entrepreneurship outcomes, ensuring that programmes are guided by real labour market needs.
Beyond these achievements, the NCDMB has announced a bold new plan to train 10,000 Nigerians in various oil and gas disciplines. This new plan is part of its renewed drive to boost local participation and bridge technical skill gaps across the sector. The plan to train 10,000 Nigerians in key oil and gas disciplines aims to deepen this national skills base even further.
Findings show that, to date, the Board has delivered over 16 million training man-hours and empowered more than 7,000 trainees. More than 400,000 individuals and 13,565 service companies are registered on the Joint Qualification System that matches talent with opportunities.
Why does this matter? When Nigerians are equipped to design, operate and manage the country’s critical industry, more value remains at home. Fewer foreign specialists are required. More contracts are awarded to local companies. Communities benefit. And the national economy becomes more resilient.
The Board’s approach of combining skills training, enterprise development and community-focused investment is shaping a clear path from classroom to workshop floor to supervisory role. If sustained and expanded, this work can help build a truly Nigerian-led oil and gas industry, supporting national development goals and the broader vision of a self-reliant industrial economy.
The road ahead requires consistent commitment. But the direction is clear. Nigeria is steadily building the people and institutions that can sustain its future. And the work of the NCDMB is one of the foundations of that progress.