The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says that it is finalising a new procurement framework known as the Nigeria First Procurement Policy, aimed at prioritising local content participation in the oil and gas value chain and ensuring energy sufficiency.
The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Mr. Felix Ogbe, said in his keynote address at the ongoing 24th Nigerian Oil and Gas Energy Week on Monday in Abuja, that it was designed to deepen indigenous participation across the industry and advance the nation’s energy sufficiency goals
According to him, this effort is aimed at deepening the Federal Government of Nigeria’s First Policy
He explained that the policy mandates that all goods and services produced or readily available within Nigeria will not be sourced from foreign suppliers unless there is clear evidence of insufficient local capacity.
Ogbe disclosed that there are plans to commission a comprehensive baseline study to verify the current capacity of indigenous service providers and manufacturers supplying goods to the oil and gas value chain.
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The policy, he noted, is a deliberate move to entrench local capacity utilisation and reduce the dependence on foreign inputs in Nigeria’s energy sector.
He said that at the heart of this administration’s agenda is a deliberate and strategic push to reclaim our economic independence by harnessing our local capacity.
“This year’s theme for the Nigerian Content Seminar is ‘Achieving Energy Sufficiency through Local Content’. This theme is both timely and relevant to the Nigerian Oil and Gas sector. This is so as we strive to attract more investments into the Nigerian oil and gas industry towards achieving energy sufficiency and security.
“For Nigeria, energy sufficiency goes beyond its availability; it extends towards the key elements of resilience, sovereignty, and sustainability, all of which are anchored in strong domestic capabilities. In this regard,” local content is not just a policy, it is a strategic imperative” that creates an enabling environment for investment.
“A nation that aspires to be energy-sufficient must build its energy from within; hence, we must deepen our local capacities across the oil and gas value chain, from exploration and production to processing and delivery to end users.
“By doing so, we will not only retain economic value within our borders but also mitigate supply disruptions, create jobs, and build technological resilience, further contributing to our energy sufficiency,” he said.
He announced that the Nigerian government had taken some bold steps to deepen Nigerian Content across the nation to ensure energy sufficiency.
The theme of the conference is “Achieving Energy Sufficiency through Local Content Implementation.’’
GIK/APA