From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), as part of efforts to prioritise the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy, is finalising Nigeria’s First Procurement Policy to reclaim the economic independence of the country by harnessing local capacity.
The policy, when it comes into force, will ensure that all goods or services that are produced and/or available locally will not be procured from foreign sources unless there is a clear and justifiable reason.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, revealed this on Monday, June 30, 2025, during the Nigerian Content Seminar held on the sidelines of the 24th Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Conference Centre, Abuja.
The seminar, themed “Achieving Energy Sufficiency through Local Content Implementation,” attracted key players in the oil and gas industry to deliberate on the growth of the sector.
Ogbe explained that the NCDMB strives to attract more investments into the Nigerian oil and gas industry to achieve energy sufficiency and security.
According to him, Nigeria’s energy sufficiency goes beyond availability, extending to key elements of resilience, sovereignty, and sustainability, which are anchored in strong domestic capabilities.
“The most recent policy aimed at deepening local content is the ‘Nigeria First Policy.’ At the heart of this administration’s agenda is a deliberate and strategic push to reclaim our economic independence by harnessing our local capacity. The Nigeria First Policy represents this vision.
“It is rooted in a simple but powerful principle that ‘All goods or services that are produced and/or available locally will not be procured from foreign sources unless there is a clear and justifiable reason.’
“This principle is in line with Section 3(1) of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, which states that first consideration must be given to Nigerian goods and services. Let me add that such goods and services must meet the required industry standards.
“To ensure this policy translates from paper to tangible progress, the board is already taking some steps. First, we are developing a Nigeria First Procurement Policy for the board. The board is incorporating the Nigeria First Policy into our internal processes and systems.
“The policy will be considered for reviewing and approving Nigerian Content Plans, Nigerian Content Compliance Certifications, and so on. The board will also commission a Baseline Study to ascertain and verify the available capacity of Nigerian service providers.
“Similarly, we will also commission a Baseline Study of the consumables and other goods that are used in the oil and gas industry. The study will also identify Nigerian companies that produce these goods and confirm their capacities,” he said.
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