Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa
The Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Bank of Industry (BoI) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the 100 million dollars Content Intervention Fund (NCIF) Equity Scheme.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Felix Ogbe, signed on behalf of the Board, while the Managing Director of BoI, Dr Olasupo Olusi, signed for the bank.
Ogbe described the signing as a landmark development and milestone in local content financing.
‘’We have concluded arrangements to establish the 100 million dollars Equity Investment Scheme in partnership with BOI.
“This finance scheme will provide equity financing to high-growth indigenous energy service companies, while diversifying our income base and strengthening local content development, ‘’ he said.
Ogbe said that the board had completed the framework for the issuance of the Nigerian Content Equipment Certificate.
According to him, the certificate will confirm companies’ compliance to the one per cent remittance obligations.
“The certificate will become effective 1st January 2026 and will be required to get key permits and approvals from the board,” he said.
Also speaking, Olusi, commended NCDMB leadership for its partnership.
He also commended its shared vision and unwavering commitment to strengthening indigenous participation across Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain.
“This collaboration marks a significant expansion of our long-standing relationship, through the fund.
“BOI will deploy equity and quasi-equity capital to support high-potential Nigeria companies, complementing traditional debt financing and strengthening access to the long-term risk.
“It will also support capital required for scale, competitiveness and value creation.
“The structure of this fund reflects BOI’s proven equity investment approach anchored on rigorous due diligence, disciplined investment review processes and robust post-investment monitoring.
“Our objective is to ensure that deployed capital generates credible commercial returns.
‘’We will also be advancing national priorities in local content development, manufacturing expansion, job creation and technology transfer.
“Together we reaffirm our shared commitment to building resilient indigenous enterprises that can compete globally and deliver lasting economic value for Nigerians,” Olusi said.
.NCDMB urges youths to protect National Assets, embrace Energy Innovation
Also,The executive secretary of the Nigerian content development and monitoring board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has declared that Nigeria stands at a defining moment in its energy journey.
“He stated that as global energy systems rapidly transform, the nation must prepare for a future that harmonizes traditional oil and gas operations with cleaner and more innovative energy solutions.”
Represented by the head of government relations at NCDMB, Mr. Teddy Bai, Engr. Ogbe made this known on tuesday during the practical Nigerian content (PNC) 2025 youth forum, held at the government house golden Tulip, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The event, themed “Building Youth Capacity, Securing Investments, Sustaining Growth in the Oil and Gas Industry,” brought together stakeholders from government, academia, security agencies, and industry experts.
“According to Ogbe, at the center of the nation’s energy transition are Nigerian youth, who he described as “not just the leaders of tomorrow but contributors and solution creators today, their creativity digital fluency and entrepreneurial spirit, he said, are essential for addressing some of Nigeria’s most pressing challenges.”
He highlighted these challenges as pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft evironmental degradation skills gaps in emerging energy technologies the need for innovation in local content development
“Ogbe emphasized that NCDMB recognizes the critical role of young Nigerians and that the youth forum is one of several interventions designed to empower, inform, and prepare them for future opportunities.”
The executive secretary noted that over the years, NCDMB has made extensive investments in human capacity development, entrepreneurship programmes, technical training, and specialized youth-focused initiatives.
“These investments are not symbolic—they are strategic,” he said. “Our goal is simple: to build a competent, globally competitive Nigerian workforce that drives in-country value creation across the entire energy sector.”
He revealed that participants at the event would benefit from sessions on pathways for youth participation along the oil and gas value chain, skills shaping the future of work in the energy sector.
How to register on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGICJQS) Upcoming NCDMB training opportunities the importance of responsible conduct and community protection.
Ogbe stressed the need for all participants to register on the NOGICJQS platform.
Addressing the growing menace of vandalism and community restiveness, Ogbe issued a stern call to action the Nigerian youth must be champions of protection not destruction of national assets.”
He expressed confidence that the keynote speaker, Mr. Matthew Seiyefa, and other invited experts would address these issues comprehensively.
Ogbe further noted that as the world shifts toward renewable and low-carbon technologies, Nigeria is working toward a diversified and sustainable future one in which,young innovators design energy solutions for rural communities local tech startups support oil and gas operations skilled artisans and technicians build gas based industrial infrastructure engineers, data analysts, and environmental specialists drive new projects
He urged youth to be intentional, curious, disciplined, and prepared, adding that opportunities abound for those who engage positively and position themselves strategically.
In a goodwill message, the governor of Bayelsa state, Senator Douye Diri, represented by the director general of the centre for youth development, comrade Robert Igali, said the state celebrates whenever a young person is developed.
“He advised young people to be deliberate about learning, unlearning, building meaningful networks, and making strategic moves.”
Furthermore he encouraged them to leverage the opportunities created by the prosperity government its partners and multinational companies,he noted that Bayelsa state is now positioned for industrial growth following major investments in infrastructure, security, and governance, including the imminent activation of the Gas Turbine.
“He urged the youth to conduct themselves responsibly:
“Do not allow our state to be de-marketed for the wrong reasons. It is time to take full advantage of the opportunities before us.”
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Matthew Seiyefa, former director-general of the department of state services (DSS), spoke on “The Role of Nigerian Youth in Securing Energy Investments for Sustainable Development.”
“He traced the struggle for the development of the Niger Delta to the colonial era and noted the pivotal and often painful role of the Ijaw people in this history, including environmental degradation, destruction of community assets, and loss of lives.
Seiyefa urged the region to rethink and re-strategize for the future, arguing that despite the centrality of hydrocarbon resources, the youth remain the most vital resource of the Niger Delta.
Also speaking at the forum, Barrister Esther Ekiotenne encouraged young people to embrace entrepreneurship and self development,she emphasized that great enterprises often begin with small, deliberate steps and urged the youth to cultivate resilience and creativity.
