By Chidinma Olivia Patrick
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has urged residents, businesses and host communities in Anambra State to take advantage of training, employment and business opportunities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The call was made at the Nigerian Content Media Stakeholders Workshop in Anambra State, held at Golden Tulip Hotel, Awka. The event was described by the board as its first media stakeholders’ workshop in the South-East since the annual engagement began in 2019.
Speaking at the workshop, NCDMB General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, said Anambra was an important location for the engagement because it is recognised as an oil and gas producing state. He cited records estimating the state’s production capacity at about 3,000 barrels per day and referenced indigenous industry figures and companies with roots in the state.
Ezeobi said the workshop was designed to familiarise journalists with the board’s mandate, programmes and opportunities under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, while strengthening their ability to report local-content issues accurately and in context.
According to him, the media has a key role in explaining the policy to the public, publicising available opportunities and holding oil and gas operators accountable for compliance with Nigerian content requirements.
Presenting the board’s mandate, programmes, and achievements, NCDMB Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr. Silas Omomehin Ajimijaye, said the board’s core responsibilities include developing local capacities and capabilities without compromising standards, and monitoring and enforcing the provisions of the Nigerian Content Act. Ajimijaye said the board supports capacity-building programmes intended to prepare Nigerians for skills needed in the oil and gas sector.
He told participants that thousands of Nigerians were being trained in 10 areas identified as important to the industry’s sustainability, and urged eligible people to look out for advertised opportunities and apply.
Participants at a panel session on Nigerian content and sustainable community development also discussed ways host communities could benefit from oil and gas projects. NCDMB officials said community-content guidelines were intended to encourage local participation, including access to suitable project work, training and opportunities for community contractors.
Officials explained that project plans and monitoring processes are used to check whether approved commitments on personnel, procurement, services and community participation are being implemented. They also encouraged Ndị Anambra to register on the relevant industry platforms so they can be identified for opportunities when available.
Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr. Law Mefor, welcomed the engagement and called for stronger collaboration between the state government and the board. He also stressed the need to align education and training with the skills required by industry, arguing that technical and vocational preparation should help people create jobs and meet real workforce needs.
The workshop featured discussions on Nigerian content programmes, community development and the role of the media, as well as sessions aimed at helping journalists improve their reporting and professional practice.
Journalists were urged to use the knowledge gained to deepen public understanding of local content, highlight opportunities available to ndị Anambra and scrutinise industry operators’ compliance with the law.
