ANAMBRA MEDIA PRACTITIONERS EXPLORE OIL AND GAS OPPORTUNITIES AS NCDMB HIGHLIGHTS LOCAL CONTENT
By Oguocha Chukwuebuka
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has called on individuals and businesses in Anambra State to take advantage of opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry by actively participating in the sector.
The call was made during a presentation on the Board’s responsibilities, programmes and achievements, delivered on behalf of its Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, FNSE, by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Omomehin Ajimijaye.
Ajimijaye explained that the Board operates under a dual mandate: to build the capacity of Nigerians to participate in the oil and gas industry while maintaining acceptable standards, and to ensure compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010.
He stressed that the Board’s initiatives are designed to benefit Nigerians across the country, adding that several opportunities are available through its various directorates, including Research, Monitoring, Legal Services and Capacity Building.
The director encouraged individuals and business owners seeking opportunities in the industry to register on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS) portal at nogicjqs.gov.ng. He explained that the platform serves as an important channel through which candidates and businesses are identified for many opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
He further disclosed that the Board was implementing a training initiative expected to equip thousands of Nigerians with skills in 10 critical areas considered essential to the long-term sustainability of the country’s oil and gas industry.
Highlighting the Board’s achievements, Ajimijaye listed its support for startups progressing towards commercialisation, the issuance of Nigerian Content Equipment Certificates (NCEC), and the delivery of more than 15 million man-hours of training.
He also mentioned the $350 million Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, which community contractors were encouraged to access to strengthen their businesses and participate more effectively in the industry.
According to him, the Board, headquartered in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has maintained its position as the number-one government agency in the Ease of Doing Business ranking since 2022.
Speaing at the event, Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, represented by the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, said the state possesses substantial natural gas resources that could drive industrial growth and economic development.
He put Anambra’s estimated gas reserves at about 30 trillion cubic feet, representing approximately 15 per cent of Nigeria’s total reserves. He also observed that the state had previously been left out of the country’s gas master plan.
The governor’s representative commended the organisers for creating awareness about opportunities in the oil and gas industry, noting that media participation would help communicate relevant information to residents and businesses across the state.
He reaffirmed the Soludo administration’s commitment to positioning Anambra as a hub for gas-based industrialisation.
The workshop also featured experienced media professionals from Abuja and Lagos, who were invited to share their expertise with journalists in Anambra State.
Their participation was aimed at strengthening local journalists’ capacity to report on Nigerian content development and the oil and gas industry, while encouraging them to produce work capable of earning recognition at national journalism awards.
