The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has urged media practitioners in Anambra State to intensify public awareness of Nigeria’s local content policy to enable more citizens to benefit from opportunities in the oil and gas industry.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engineer Felix Omatsola Ogbe, made the call on Thursday, October 15, 2026, during a Nigerian Content Capacity Building Workshop for media stakeholders in Awka.
Ogbe, who was represented by the Board’s General Manager, Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, said Anambra had significant opportunities in the oil and gas sector that remained largely untapped due to inadequate publicity and limited public awareness.
He described journalists as critical stakeholders in promoting Nigerian content, stressing that the media had a responsibility to hold oil and gas operators accountable and monitor their compliance with local content requirements.
Ogbe urged journalists to educate residents on available opportunities in the sector to promote economic growth and socioeconomic development in the state.
“There are thousands of Nigerian service companies participating in the oil and gas value chain. There are also several issues in local content and the oil and gas industry that require attention, interventions that deserve explanation and opportunities that Nigerians need to know about.
“We want the media in Anambra State to hold operators accountable and help track compliance with Nigerian Content requirements,” he said.
The NCDMB chief explained that Nigerian content was fundamentally about developing local human and material capacities while ensuring that oil and gas operations were increasingly domiciled within the country.
According to him, the policy creates opportunities for Nigerians to participate actively and competitively in the oil and gas industry and the broader national economy.
He added that the Board was committed to equipping indigenous businesses to deliver goods and services competitively, strengthening the technical competencies of Nigerian professionals and improving domestic manufacturing and industrial capacity.
Ogbe noted that these efforts were aimed at retaining greater value within the Nigerian economy by expanding local participation and strengthening domestic productive capacity.
Earlier, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at NCDMB, Mr. Omomehin Ajimijaye, who presented an overview of the Board’s mandate, programmes and achievements, said its responsibilities included developing local capacities and capabilities without compromising standards, as well as monitoring and enforcing compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
Ajimijaye said the Board had implemented various programmes across the country to promote indigenous participation in the oil and gas industry.
He encouraged youths in Anambra State to take advantage of the available opportunities by regularly visiting the Board’s portal for information on its programmes and submitting project proposals.
Representing Governor Chukwuma Soludo, the Commissioner for Information and Value Reorientation, Dr. Law Mefor, said the state government was willing to partner with the Board to sensitise residents on promoting Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry and other sectors.
Dr. Mefor, however, called on the NCDMB to address what he described as a perceived imbalance in access to opportunities, urging the Board to ensure that Anambra residents and businesses benefited more equitably from the local content policy.
The Commissioner thanked the Board for selecting Anambra State to host the workshop.
During a panel discussion, media and communication experts, including Mr. Kingsley Jeremiah, Energy and Power Editor of The Guardian newspaper; Dr. Adeola Yusuf, Publisher of Platforms Africa; and Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, recommended effective reporting strategies for journalists.
They highlighted human-interest stories, compelling storytelling and multimedia approaches as important tools for making Nigerian content issues more accessible and engaging to the public.
Angel Network News (ANN) gathered that Anambra is reported to produce approximately 3,000 barrels of crude oil daily, making it an important oil-producing state in the South-East.
The workshop brought together media professionals and stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to strengthen reporting on Nigerian content, improve public awareness and promote greater local participation in the sector.
