Stakeholders in the oil and gas industry have been urged to embrace the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development Monitoring Board (NCDMB), which is a bold step towards improving efficiency, transparency, innovation, and global competitiveness in the sector.
The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Felix Ogbe, who made the call on Wednesday, August 12, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, while unveiling the portal, said the success of the platform depended not only on its design but also on its collective adoption and engagement by industry stakeholders.
The event, organised in partnership with the Bank of Industry and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, also featured a technical session and an interactive panel discussion involving industry stakeholders from Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ sensitisation programme, with the theme, “Compliance Certificate System, Upgraded NCDF Payment Portal and the Revised Community Scheme,” Mr. Ogbe, who was represented by the Manager, NCDMB, Mr Emmanuel Yusuf, explained that compliance confirmation in the oil and gas industry had for long been handled manually, resulting in delays that sometimes lasted weeks.
He said the situation had slowed project approvals, created uncertainty and limited transparency for regulators and investors, adding that the new portal would make the process faster, simpler and more transparent.
“It is with immense pride that we gather today for the official unveiling of the Nigerian Content Fund Compliance Certificate Portal, a bold step towards ensuring efficiency, transparency, and global competitiveness in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
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“The portal will cut certificate processing time from weeks to days, allow online applications without physical visits or paperwork, provide instant status updates, eliminating uncertainty, enable regulators to verify compliance in real time, and create a single digital record that investors and lenders can trust.
“By digitising the process, the portal enhances access to the Fund. Companies that meet obligations can now obtain certificates quickly, unlock financing opportunities without delay, and channel resources into projects that create jobs, build capacity, and strengthen Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain.
“For operators and contractors, it means faster access to funding. For regulators, stronger oversight and improved data collation. For investors, it is a source of increased confidence. And for Nigeria, a more efficient system that ensures the Fund continues to drive measurable impact.
We send a clear message: That Nigeria is ready. That our systems are evolving. And that our oil and gas industry is becoming more efficient, transparent, and competitive on the global stage.
“I encourage all stakeholders to embrace this platform, because its success depends not just on its design, but on our collective adoption and engagement Ogbe said.
He described the Nigerian Content compliance certificate as a vital requirement in the industry, noting that the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act stipulates that 1% of every contract awarded be deducted at source and paid into the fund.
According to him, the certificate serves as proof of compliance, a key requirement for accessing the Fund and an assurance that obligations are being met in line with national development goals.
In separate goodwill messages, representatives of the Bank of Industry and NEXIM Bank pledged their support for vendors and the operations of the NCDMB to ensure the success of the initiative.
The representative of the Bank of Industry, Mrs Olamide Oladele, explained the various financing opportunities available to indigenous businesses operating in the oil and gas industry.
“With the launch of the new portal, the bank is ready to provide finance to support businesses in the oil and gas industry,” Oladele said.
