Nigeria’s local fabrication capacity in oil and gas has outgrown domestic demand, marking a milestone in industrial development, enabling Nigerian companies to serve other African and Middle Eastern markets. This expansion has helped reduce imports, retain capital, and create local jobs.
This was revealed by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board during the launch of a 12-month Nigerian Content Non-Compliance (NC-NC) Remediation Training Programme held recently in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, who was represented by the General Manager of Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, Mr Esueme Dan Kikile, described the achievement as a major milestone in the Board’s 10-Year Strategic Road Map, launched in 2017.
Ogba stated, “We now have excess capacity in terms of fabrication in-country; we are exporting outside this country, “underscoring the growth of Nigeria’s local content capabilities.
The 10-Year Road Map was developed to increase Nigerian content in the oil and gas sector from 26 per cent in 2017 to 70 per cent by 2027. A key priority of the plan is the development of technical capabilities aimed at strengthening the local supply chain while maintaining high standards of quality and safety.
When the NCDMB was established in 2010, the country’s fabrication capacity was below 50,000 metric tonnes per year. By 2017, that figure had risen to over 228,000 metric tonnes, and it has continued to grow significantly leading to a marked decline in the importation of line pipes and other related materials. This expansion has helped reduce imports, retain capital, and create local jobs.
Fabrication yards in Nigeria now offer a range of services including shipbuilding, steel structure erection, and metal frame fabrication. Prominent companies driving growth in this sector include Nigerdock Nigeria Plc, Dorman Long Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria, Saipem Nigeria, Bablink Resources, Aveon Offshore, and AOS Orwell, among others.
Ogbe noted that the Board has an ambitious target of creating 300,000 jobs across the oil and gas industry as well as related sectors like power and construction. “We are not at 300,000 yet, but we have done very well,” he said. He added that several NCDMB-trained Nigerians are now employed in other parts of Africa.
The Remediation Training Programme, sponsored by WalterSmith Petroleum Oil Limited And facilitated by Dexterous Applied Training Institute Includes both the both general courses, such as entrepreneurship, ICT, safety at work, and Nigerian Content awareness, and specialized skill sets, including instrumentation and control engineering, quality assurance, and process engineering.
The current batch of the programme consists of 23 out of 52 selected participants. General courses are being conducted at the NCDMB Learning Centre in Yenagoa, while hands-on specialized training is scheduled to take place in Port Harcourt.
Ogbe stressed that the NCDMB serves not only as a regulatory body but a business enabler, dedicated to advancing local content and supporting broader economic development.
