NCDMB Deepens Engagement with Media, Youth in Niger Delta
In line with its mandate under Sections 67 and 70(n) of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has held a strategic engagement with media practitioners and youth stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.
The event, hosted at Sparklyn Hotel, New GRA, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was designed to strengthen relationships between the Board, media professionals, and youth groups, while clarifying its operational frameworks and avenues for collaboration.
In his opening remarks, the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, stressed the importance of continuous stakeholder engagement and highlighted the Board’s commitment to capacity building, both in the oil and gas industry and within the media sector. He noted that the NCDMB regularly organizes workshops and training programs to empower media professionals with the skills to effectively communicate the Board’s activities and milestones.
Dr. Ezeobi also emphasized that the NCDMB is a pan-Nigerian institution created to drive capacity development across the oil and gas value chain, and not an interventionist agency solely for the Niger Delta.
Representing the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, presented milestones of Nigerian Content implementation. He highlighted the Board’s achievements in fostering in-country value addition, building local capacity, enforcing compliance with the NOGICD Act, and ensuring increased Nigerian participation in the oil and gas sector. He added that the NCDMB has consistently been ranked among top-performing agencies by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
Also speaking, Mr. Omomehin Ajimajiye, General Manager, Midstream, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, outlined landmark projects of the Board, including the establishment of six Centers of Excellence across the country. These centers focus on specialized areas such as gas studies at the LNG Center, University of Port Harcourt; safety and environmental studies at Modibbo Adama University of Technology; and engineering innovation at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri. He disclosed that over 1,800 Nigerians have already been trained in critical technical fields through the Board’s initiatives.
On his part, Mr. Bufazi Tareowei, Deputy Manager, Capacity Building, reiterated the Executive Secretary’s call for deeper collaboration and urged participants to register on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Joint Qualification System (NOGICJQS) portal to access capacity-building opportunities and programs.
The engagement ended with a commitment from the GM, Corporate Communications, that similar forums would be held in other Niger Delta states to sustain stakeholder dialogue. Youth groups and media representatives commended the Board for the initiative, describing it as a renewed path toward partnership and shared growth.
