The Nigerian Content material Growth and Monitoring Board has reiterated its resolve to extend native content material participation in Nigeria’s oil and fuel business to 70 per cent by 2027, describing the sector as central to the nation’s industrialisation agenda, job creation and {economic} diversification.
Talking at a media capacity-building workshop held on Monday in Abuja, the Director of Company Providers at NCDMB, Abdulmalik Halilu, stated the nation has recorded notable progress lately, with native content material rising from about 42 per cent to 61 per cent as of October 2025, based mostly on tasks tracked by the board.
In line with him, “Native content material shouldn’t be a dash; it’s a marathon. As of at this time, we’re at about 61 per cent, and our goal stays 70 per cent by 2027. We’re closing the gaps intentionally, significantly in manufacturing, which is our greatest problem.”
Halilu famous that Nigeria’s native content material drive started properly earlier than the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gasoline Trade Content material Growth Act in 2010, explaining that crude oil discovery predates independence and early legal guidelines targeted primarily on income era fairly than worth creation.
He defined that research performed within the early 2000s confirmed Nigeria was exporting jobs, companies and industrial alternatives by prioritising “first oil” over home capability constructing.
“That philosophy was about income, income, income, with zero deal with nation worth addition. The choice was taken that oil and fuel should be used as a software for employment, industrialisation and discount of capital flight.”
He added that the 2010 Act formally embedded native content material coverage into legislation to ensure its continuity past political transitions, making it a everlasting pillar of Nigeria’s {economic} growth framework.
“Native content material signifies that what might be produced in Nigeria should be produced in Nigeria, with out compromising requirements. It should be aggressive and should meet the schedules and necessities of operators.”
Halilu clarified that native content material shouldn’t be mistaken for indigenisation or Nigerianisation, describing it as a substitute as “domestication anchored on international greatest apply and strategic partnerships.”
Outlining the board’s duties, he stated NCDMB is uniquely positioned to each implement compliance with greater than 300 particular native content material targets stipulated within the Act and actively develop capability inside the business.
“Certainly one of our core duties is capability constructing. However you can’t construct capability in case you can not implement native content material. That’s the reason enforcement and growth go hand in hand.”
He highlighted main achievements, together with the NLNG Practice 7 mission, which engaged over 1,400 distributors, localised stress vessel fabrication, and noticed Nigerian producers provide internationally licensed security boots, pumps and cables.
“These capacities are usually not only for oil and fuel. Strain vessels, cables and metal constructions are additionally utilized in energy and development. What we construct in oil and fuel cascades into different sectors,” Halilu famous.
He additionally drew consideration to NCDMB’s legacy funding framework, which has facilitated large-scale infrastructure such because the FPSO integration yard in Lagos, describing such tasks as investments too capital-intensive for particular person corporations to undertake alone.
On financing, Halilu disclosed that the Nigerian Content material Growth Fund, sourced from 1 per cent deductions from upstream contracts, has been deployed by means of intervention programmes providing single-digit curiosity loans of as much as $10 million, with a non-performing mortgage ratio of beneath 5 per cent.
“We partnered with the {Bank} of Trade to offer inexpensive financing for indigenous firms to execute contracts, purchase belongings and construct manufacturing capability. Our NPL is under 5 per cent, which exhibits self-discipline and effectiveness.”
He added that the board’s COVID-19 working capital intervention helped protect hundreds of jobs by enabling service firms to retain workers throughout business shutdowns.
Halilu additional emphasised NCDMB’s data-driven technique, supported by the Joint Qualification System and a powerful monitoring and analysis framework.
“What doesn’t get measured doesn’t get finished. Each intervention is tied to a roadmap, a scorecard and clear efficiency indicators. That’s the reason since 2010, no NCDMB mission has been deserted.”
Wanting past Nigeria, he stated the board is selling native content material growth throughout Africa, noting that Nigeria alone might not present a sufficiently massive market to draw sure high-end investments.
“Africa mixed has about 125 billion barrels of crude oil and over 800 trillion cubic ft of fuel. That’s the reason we’re working by means of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation to advertise native content material throughout the continent.”
He revealed that initiatives such because the Africa Vitality {Bank} and the adoption of the Brazzaville Accord on native content material had been outcomes of Nigeria’s management within the space.
Halilu urged the media to play a strategic function in increasing public consciousness of native content material coverage, stating, “The media is the bridge between authorities and the folks. By informing, educating and advocating, you assist promote compliance, transparency and nationwide growth. Native content material shouldn’t be CSR; it’s a enterprise crucial for Nigeria’s {economic} development.”