NATIONAL CONTENT POLICY COMMITMENT

A Policy requires that Nigerian companies and labour receive first consideration in oil and gas activities. It targets international oil firms and local professionals in the sector. This shifts wealth into the domestic economy.

What Is This Policy?

The Nigerian Content Policy Commitment refers to the suite of policies and regulations implementing the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010, which mandates that Nigerian companies, labour, goods, and services must be given first consideration in all activities of the oil and gas industry, shifting wealth from petroleum operations into the domestic economy.

Who Does It Target?

International oil companies (IOCs): Shell, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Eni, and others operating in Nigeria Nigerian companies and entrepreneurs seeking to participate in the oil and gas supply chain as contractors, vendors, and service providers Nigerian professionals: engineers, geologists, accountants, legal practitioners, and others in the petroleum sector Financial institutions providing project finance, insurance, and bonding to oil sector contractors

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Grow Nigerian Content to 70% of all goods and services used in the oil and gas industry by value by 2027 Develop Nigeria's industrial capacity to design, fabricate, and maintain oil and gas equipment domestically Retain petroleum industry earnings within Nigeria through domestic procurement, employment, and financial services Build a pool of internationally competitive Nigerian engineering, fabrication, and subsea construction companies

Key Features

First Consideration Rule: All operators must give first and exclusive consideration to Nigerian goods, services, and professionals before procuring from abroad Nigerian Content Plan (NCP): All contracts above $1 million must include a Board-approved Nigerian Content Plan specifying how local participation will be achieved Technology Transfer: Operators required to implement technology transfer programmes and Nigerian staff development plans for all technical disciplines NCDMB Monitoring: The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) audits compliance, certifies vendors, and enforces the Nigerian Content Fund levy Joint Venture Framework: Procurement rules encourage joint ventures between IOCs and Nigerian companies to build domestic capacity in deepwater, subsea, and FPSO operations Nigerian Content Consultative Forum: Annual industry gathering to review progress, set targets, and identify barriers to achieving content benchmarks

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active; NCDMB's five-year Strategic Road Map (SRM 2021 to 2025) drives implementation Implementing Body: Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB); NUPRC; NMDPRA; Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources Content Level: Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry reached approximately 56% in 2023, up from 2% in 2010 Local Jobs: Over 50,000 direct and 300,000 indirect jobs attributed to Nigerian Content policy since 2010 Funding: Nigerian Content Development Fund (0.5% levy on all industry contracts) funds capacity building, loans, and infrastructure

How to Access

Nigerian Businesses: Register on the NCDMB vendor database at ncdmb.gov.ng to be considered for oil and gas procurement contracts Contractors: Submit a Nigerian Content Plan with all bids for oil and gas contracts above $1 million; non-compliant bids are disqualified Loans and Finance: Apply to NCDMB's Intervention Fund for project finance support at concessional rates for capacity development projects Contact: NCDMB: ncdmb.gov.ng | [email protected] | NCDMB Towers, 1 Igwuruta Road, Ovom, Bayelsa State

Impact & Metrics

Nigerian Content increased from approximately 2% in 2010 to 56% in 2023, a 28-fold increase over 13 years The Nigerian Content Development Fund has disbursed over N50 billion in loans and grants to Nigerian oil sector companies

Official Resources

Website: ncdmb.gov.ng Contact: NCDMB, NCDMB Towers, 1 Igwuruta Road, Ovom, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State | [email protected] Policy Summary | Source: NCDMB, NCDMB Act 2010, PIA 2021, Oilfield Publications, Businessday Nigeria, ThisDay | February 2026

Legal Framework

The National Content Policy Commitment operates under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010, the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, and the Public Procurement Act 2007. It aligns with the Presidential Directive on Local Content Compliance (2024), the Nigerian Content Development Fund, and ECOWAS guidelines on regional content development in the extractive industries sector.