The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, has launched a comprehensive overhaul of the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, NCCF, signalling a renewed push to drive high-impact local content outcomes in the oil and gas sector.
NCDMB, in a statement, said the reset, unveiled at a two-day retreat and the first half of the NCCF 2026 Steering Committee Meeting, is aimed at repositioning the forum as a more effective platform for collaboration, policy input and capacity development.
Declaring the retreat open, NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, described the exercise as a “defining moment” for the forum, stressing the need for a more deliberate and strategic direction despite its steady growth since inception.
“The NCCF began as a bold vision and has grown through sustained collaboration. However, progress must now be matched with intentional planning to deliver long-term impact,” he said.
Represented by the Acting Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Ogbe urged stakeholders to use the retreat to critically assess current realities and chart a clearer roadmap for the forum’s future.
He identified a baseline study conducted by Ernst & Young, EY, as a key tool for benchmarking the NCCF against global standards, noting that while frameworks are important, meaningful transformation would depend on stakeholder commitment and collaboration.
Also speaking, EY Partner and session facilitator, Damilola Aloba, outlined the retreat’s core objectives, including aligning leadership on the NCCF’s long-term vision, improving coordination among the forum, its Sectoral Working Groups, SWGs, and the NCDMB, and fostering shared ownership of its mandate.
Aloba revealed that stakeholder consultations and benchmarking exercises had exposed critical structural and operational gaps, such as unclear strategic direction, delays in project approvals and weak post-idea decision-making processes.
He also cited funding constraints, limited project evaluation and tracking capacity, and the absence of defined criteria for assessing project viability and impact as key challenges hampering the forum’s effectiveness.
Despite these shortcomings, he acknowledged the strong commitment of SWG members, particularly their contributions to capacity development initiatives across the oil and gas value chain.
Providing further insight, Acting Deputy Manager of NCCF, Engr. Bright Amatoru, described the forum as a statutory collaborative platform established under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development, NOGICD, Act.
He noted that since its establishment in 2014, the NCCF has engaged stakeholders across 12 SWGs to identify industry gaps and implement targeted interventions.
Among its achievements, Amatoru highlighted the development of National Operational Standards to harmonise capacity-building efforts, the Marine Assets Listing System for data aggregation, and ongoing initiatives to promote inclusion, including the Women in Oil and Gas Conference.
However, he admitted that the absence of a clearly defined strategic framework has limited the forum’s ability to prioritise interventions effectively.
The ongoing retreat, he added, is expected to produce actionable recommendations, strengthen governance structures and define a clear execution pathway that aligns with NCDMB’s 10-year strategic plan and broader industry expectations.
The overhaul marks a significant step in the Board’s efforts to enhance the NCCF’s capacity to deliver measurable and sustainable outcomes in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
