Akaiso Akaiso, Uyo
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, on Wednesday officially retired the era of paper and stamps as it unveiled a Digital Compliance Certificate System, DCCS, to govern the issuance of Nigerian Content Compliance Certificates, NCCC, in the oil and gas industry.
The launch, held at Ceedapeq Hotels and Suites, Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo drew top officials of oil and gas, indigenous contractors, regulators, and technology partners across Akwa Ibom State and beyond. The message was singular: compliance will now be faster, traceable, and harder to manipulate.
For years, companies seeking NCCC had to submit physical documents, make multiple trips to Yenagoa, and wait weeks for approvals. Under the new DCCS, the entire process — application, review, approval, and certificate download — will be completed online within 48 hours.
The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Felix Ogbe, who performed the unveiling, said the move is in direct response to calls for ease of doing business and in line with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda. “We cannot be talking about a $50 billion industry and still be moving files from table to table,” he stated.
Speaking during the Stakeholders Sensitisation Programme with the theme ‘ Compliance Certificate System, Upgraded NCDF Payment Portal and the Revised Community Scheme, Ogbe who was represented by the Manager Nigerian Content Development Fund, Mr. Emmanuel Bala Yusuf lamented that for long compliance confirmation in the oil and gas was handled manually, noting that companies had endured delays that often stretched into weeks.
He explained that the DCCS was built to automate compliance checks against the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010. The portal will cross-reference company data on NOGIC-JQS, tax clearance, training records, and employment metrics before a certificate is issued.
According to the board, the system will eliminate discretion and human interference. Every application will be time-stamped, tracked, and assigned to an officer with an audit trail. Applicants will also receive real-time notifications via email and SMS.
A key feature is the compliance dashboard. NCDMB says it will now have live data on which companies are compliant, which projects are lagging, and which areas of the Act are most violated. That, officials say, will strengthen monitoring and enforcement.
During the interactive session after technical presentation by experts, indigenous contractors under the aegis of Niger Delta Community contractors raised observation against deployment of Consultant outside the community and other issues. “The biggest problem we had was not knowing where our application was,” said one Etebom Ekpo, MD of Armored Energy based in Eket. “With this portal, you can see it, track it, and get it without paying anyone.”
NCDMB stressed that the digital certificate will have anti-fraud features including QR codes and blockchain verification. Any company or agency can scan to confirm authenticity, effectively killing the market for fake compliance certificates.
The board also announced that the DCCS will integrate with other government platforms such as FIRS, PENCOM, ITF, and CAC. The goal is one-stop compliance: a company’s data speaks for itself without submitting the same document to five agencies.
On capacity building, NCDMB said it will roll out training for SMEs and community contractors across the Niger Delta. A help desk will assist firms transitioning from manual to digital submissions.
NCDMB officials said the first batch of digital certificates will be issued next week. With paper files now archived, the board says it is betting that technology, not bureaucracy, will drive the next operation.
In their separate goodwill messages, Bank of Industry (BOI) and Nexim pledged support for vendors and operations of the NCMDB to enable it to succeed.
The representative of Bank of Industry ( BOI), Mrs Olamide Oladele, explained various financial opportunities available for indigenous businessmen working in the oil and gas industry.
”With the launch of the new portal, the bank is ready to provide finances to support businesses in the oil and gas industry,” Oladele said.
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