NCDMB, PETAN Share Local Content Insights at Namibia Conference

Nigeria’s success in boosting local participation in its oil and gas sector took the spotlight on Wednesday at the Namibia Oil and Gas Conference in Windhoek, as officials from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) outlined strategies that could guide other African nations.

NCDMB’s Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, detailed how Nigeria’s 10-year strategic roadmap, backed by pillars such as regulatory framework, capacity building, market access, incentives, and research, has driven local content performance to 56% by 2025. He highlighted PETAN’s role, with over 101 member companies employing more than 30,000 Nigerians and impacting over 100,000 jobs indirectly.

On a panel titled “Local Content Development: How Namibians Can Benefit from the Oil and Gas Industry”, NCDMB’s General Manager of Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, recommended Namibia adopt Nigeria’s Project 100 initiative to provide financial and technical backing to selected local firms. He also urged strong public-private partnerships, collaboration with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and government sponsorship for local firms to attend global oil and gas events.

Ezeobi pushed for single-digit loan schemes to help local companies build capacity and shared how Nigeria overcame early resistance to its local content law through stakeholder engagement and improved service delivery.

PETAN Chairman and NCDMB Governing Council member, Mr. Wole Ogunsanya, advised Namibia to break down non-complex work packages from major projects to give smaller firms a competitive entry point, while adopting a detailed activity list similar to Nigeria’s.

NCDMB and PETAN also jointly hosted an exhibition booth, attracting government leaders and industry stakeholders eager to learn from Nigeria’s model and explore collaboration opportunities in Namibia’s fast-growing oil and gas sector.