Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Ogbe, has called for stronger partnerships among African oil and gas producing nations, stressing that collaboration is the only path to sustainable development in the continent’s energy sector.
Speaking in Accra, Ghana, during the Africa Content Forum at the 2025 Africa Oil Week, Ogbe, represented by the Board’s Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, warned that no single African country can fully develop its local content potential without working closely with its neighbors.
He highlighted that Africa holds more than 10 percent of the world’s crude oil reserves and eight percent of proven natural gas deposits, in addition to vast renewable energy resources. Yet, despite this abundance, the continent still exports raw materials to developed economies while inter-country trade remains minimal. Ogbe argued that this trend must change, insisting that Africa’s oil wealth must drive industrialization, regional trade, value retention, and prosperity for its people.
Calling for a stronger policy framework, Ogbe emphasized that local content initiatives must go beyond borders to include human capital development, research, technology, and enforcement mechanisms. He urged African leaders to reward innovation and technological advancement, noting that without research and development, local content policies will remain stagnant.
Read Also:
- Chevron, Intels train 39 youths under NCDMB programme
- Ex-Minister, Kachikwu to Speak at NCDMB’s 2025 Business Mentorship Lecture Series
- NCDMB Boss challenges Nigerian Oil firms to enter deepwater operations
On the importance of synergy, Halilu compared Africa’s opportunities to global aviation manufacturing, where components of a Boeing or Airbus are sourced from different countries. He suggested that by specializing and trading with one another, African nations can build a thriving energy sector, each country leveraging its comparative advantage.
Ogbe also pressed for a shift in mindset, urging leaders to stop viewing local content as a social responsibility project and instead see it as an economic strategy to keep capital within African borders while building industrial and technological capacity.
“Let us build an African energy sector that is owned, operated, and sustained by Africans,” he said. “A sector that provides jobs for our youth, creates wealth for our nations, and brings true prosperity to our continent.”
The forum featured high-level panel sessions with policymakers, oil companies, service providers, and original equipment manufacturers from across Africa and beyond. Discussions explored strategies for African content growth, capacity building, cross-border projects, and funding opportunities for oil and gas. Panelists underscored the need for bold policies, shared best practices, and sustainable financing to accelerate Africa’s energy transformation.
The sessions also stressed the importance of decarbonization, compliance with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, and innovative financing models tailored to African realities. The Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF) model was showcased as a successful example of how to build capacity and retain value within the continent’s oil and gas sector.
With energy experts agreeing that Africa’s future depends on collaboration, the call from the NCDMB boss serves as a rallying cry for unity and innovation in shaping the continent’s energy destiny.
