NCDMB Promotes Nigeria for Oil and Gas Investments at ADIPEC Meeting

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has pointed out that Nigeria is becoming a preferred spot for oil and gas investments. They highlighted new policies and Nigerian content initiatives that have helped bring in major industry projects and investment commitments.

Dr Obinna Ezeobi, the General Manager for Corporate Communications, shared this message on Wednesday at a Strategic Leadership Roundtable Briefing during the ADIPEC Energy Conference in Abu Dhabi. He represented Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB.

The high-level roundtable was themed “Delivering the Energy the World Needs: Recalibrating Upstream Projects.” It gathered 21 global industry leaders to talk about important issues affecting the future of the energy industry. They focused on investments, project delivery, financing, and sustainable growth.

In his speech, Dr Ezeobi talked about NCDMB’s main job of building Nigerian human and material capacities. He said the board ensures compliance with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act and promotes investments in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

He pointed out that Nigeria’s oil and gas industry has pulled in over $10 billion in international investments and projects in the last three years. He credited this success to specific Executive Orders and strategic incentives from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

Dr Ezeobi mentioned that the final investment decisions (FIDs) were made possible by policy reforms from key agencies like NCDMB, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd). He said these reforms have boosted investor confidence and made the Nigerian energy sector more competitive.

He also noted that NCDMB’s ongoing partnership with important industry players, especially operating companies, helped achieve recent Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) and push forward major investments in the sector.

Among the board’s initiatives that helped the sector, he mentioned the revised Nigerian Content Contracting Guidelines. These guidelines have made project approval processes easier. He also talked about the Nigerian Content Equipment Certificate (NCEC) Guidelines, which aim to remove non-performing intermediary companies from the industry. This allows Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to directly provide services for deepwater projects.

Dr Ezeobi invited international operating and service companies to consider Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. He assured them that “NCDMB will continue to support an environment where international investments grow alongside Nigerian businesses. We want technology transfer to build stronger local skills and create opportunities for local manufacturing and value addition so companies can compete beyond Nigeria.”

The Nigerian team at the roundtable included Mr Nicolas Foucart, the Managing Director of NNPC E&P Limited, and Ms Ibiyemi Asaolu, the Managing Director of NNPC 18 Operating Limited.

The discussions at the forum also looked at investment opportunities, strategies for dealing with challenging operating environments, and ways to support long-term industry growth and economic development. Participants suggested practical steps to diversify upstream financing, speed up field assessments, strengthen project delivery methods, increase hydrocarbon recovery, and create a more resilient energy future.

The ADIPEC Strategic Leadership Roundtable was a good platform for global energy leaders to share ideas and work together on solutions to meet growing energy demand while supporting sustainable industry development.

NCDMB set up an exhibition booth at the 2026 ADIPEC Conference to explain local content processes to global stakeholders. They aimed to engage and attract potential investors to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, along with the Chairman of PETAN, Wole Ogunsanya, were some of the Nigerian stakeholders who visited NCDMB’s booth at the event.

The Minister urged the board to team up with key agencies in the Nigerian oil and gas industry to create a strong presence at major oil and gas conferences. He wants to positively showcase Nigeria’s oil and gas sector as an attractive place for investment.