🛢️ “United Oil Power: African Nations Must Join Forces to Fuel Their Industry – NCDMB” 🌍

In a powerful call to action, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is urging oil‑and‑gas producing countries across Africa to strengthen collaboration, with a view to accelerating the sustainable development of the continent’s oil industry. This appeal was made during the Africa Content Forum segment of Africa Oil Week 2025 in Accra, Ghana.

Key Points of the NCDMB’s Message

• No nation can go it alone. According to NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe (represented by Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu), individual African countries lack sufficient capacity to fully exploit their oil & gas potential without strategic partnerships across borders. 
• Huge resource base. The continent holds over 10% of global crude oil reserves and around 8% of proven natural gas resources. Additionally, Africa is rich in materials needed for renewable energy technologies. 
• Retain value locally. There’s concern that many African nations export raw materials and import finished products, meaning much of the value and profit flows outside the continent. The NCDMB envisions intra‑Africa trade, specialization, and value retention as key to prosperity. 
• Critical pillars for co‑operation:
  1. A strong policy framework with governance and enforcement oversight. 
  2. Human capital development and cross‑border deployment of skills. 
  3. Technology transfer and R&D investment. 
  4. Funding mechanisms to support indigenous firms and regional ventures.

Challenges & Opportunities

• Fragmented implementation of local content policies has hampered progress. While countries like Nigeria, Angola, and Ghana have made headway, inconsistent application across the region has reduced effectiveness. 
• AfCFTA as enabler. The African Continental Free Trade Area is highlighted as a platform that could facilitate the trade in oil & gas‑sector components, services, and technologies, helping lower barriers across borders.
• Large youth population — with ~60% under 25 in many countries — presents a unique chance to build a skilled workforce for the oil & gas sector, if education, training, and opportunities are aligned. 

Vision for the Future

NCDMB’s vision is an African energy sector that is “owned, operated and sustained by Africans,” one that delivers jobs, creates wealth, empowers local industries, and reduces dependency on foreign imports. The idea is that specialization (for example, manufacturing components, assembly, R&D) by different countries, combined with strong trade among them, could replicate for Africa what integrated industries do elsewhere in the world — maximizing strengths, reducing costs, retaining value.