NCDMB to Launch Oil and Gas Parks in 2026

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has announced that its Nigerian Oil and Gas Parks Scheme (NOGAPS) will be inaugurated in 2026, as construction nears completion. The scheme, aimed at boosting local manufacturing and deepening Nigerian participation in the oil and gas sector, is part of the board’s 10-year strategic roadmap to increase Nigerian content in the industry to 70% by 2027.

Speaking at a capacity-building workshop for journalists in Abuja, Dr Abdulmalik Halilu, Director of Corporate Services at NCDMB, said that eight oil and gas industrial parks are being developed across Bayelsa, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Delta, Ondo, Abia, and Edo states. He noted that the NOGAPS in Bayelsa and Cross River states are at 90% completion and are expected to be commissioned in 2026.

Halilu explained that the oil and gas parks will provide serviced plots and critical infrastructure for manufacturing companies, and are designed to drive industrialization, job creation, and sustainable economic growth. He said that the local content policy has become a key driver of these objectives, and was introduced to curb capital flight and reposition the oil and gas sector as a catalyst for national development.

The NCDMB official added that the success of early local content initiatives led to the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, which has institutionalized the policy and insulated it from political changes. He noted that the Act contains nearly 300 performance targets, and assigns the NCDMB two core responsibilities: building indigenous capacity and enforcing compliance.

Highlighting achievements, Halilu cited the Nigeria LNG Train 7 project, which recorded over 93% Nigerian workforce participation, engagement of about 1,400 vendors, and significant local fabrication, engineering, and manufacturing activities. He added that capacities developed in the oil and gas sector are now being deployed in other sectors, such as power and construction, strengthening the industry’s multiplier effect on the economy.

The NCDMB has also deployed funds from the Nigerian Content Development Fund through various intervention programmes, including single-digit interest loans for indigenous companies, asset acquisition financing, and working capital support. The board remains committed to sustained engagement with the media and continuous capacity building for journalists covering the oil and gas sector.

The General Manager, Corporate Communications at NCDMB, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, said that the workshop was aimed at strengthening relationships with the media and enhancing professional competence, adding that effective communication has played a key role in projecting Nigerian content achievements over the years.