By Solomon OKPO | Uyo
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has unveiled a new digital compliance portal designed to eliminate bureaucratic delays and accelerate access to funding opportunities for indigenous companies operating in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The Nigerian Content Fund Compliance Certificate (NCFCC) Portal was unveiled on Wednesday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during a stakeholders’ engagement organised by the Board for industry players and other stakeholders from Akwa Ibom, Cross River and neighbouring states.
The initiative, according to the NCDMB, is part of ongoing reforms by the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omotsola Ogbe, to improve efficiency, transparency and ease of doing business within the Nigerian oil and gas sector.
Ogbe, who was represented at the event by the Manager, Nigerian Content Development Fund (NCDF), Mr Emmanuel Yusuf, said the stakeholder engagement was aimed at equipping industry players with practical information about the Board’s operations, while providing an avenue for them to raise concerns and seek clarification on available opportunities.
He said the Nigerian Content Development Fund remained a critical instrument for addressing the financing challenges confronting indigenous companies and strengthening their participation in the oil and gas value chain.
According to him, the Board has so far deployed more than $400 million to over 130 indigenous companies, while Nigerian content participation in the industry has increased to more than 60 per cent.
Ogbe also cited initiatives including Project 100 and the $100 million equity investment scheme as part of efforts to develop competitive indigenous companies and deepen local participation across the industry.
He, however, acknowledged that the Board’s systems and processes must continue to evolve in line with the growing demands of the sector, hence the introduction of the digital compliance portal.
The NCFCC Portal is expected to replace the largely manual certification process, which previously involved physical documentation and verification and could take weeks to complete.
With the new platform, companies will be able to submit applications online, monitor the progress of their applications and receive electronic updates without repeated physical visits to NCDMB offices.
Representing the Board at the unveiling, Mrs Bosede Ayodele said the portal was developed to strengthen service delivery and reduce certificate processing time from weeks to days.
She said the platform would provide instant application-status updates, facilitate real-time verification and create a centralised digital record accessible to relevant stakeholders.
Ayodele explained that faster compliance certification would enable eligible companies to access financing opportunities more quickly and deploy funds into projects capable of creating employment, improving technical capacity and strengthening the domestic oil and gas value chain.
“For operators and contractors, it means faster access to funding. For regulators, stronger oversight and improved data collection. For investors, it is a source of increased confidence,” she said.
She described the initiative as more than a technological upgrade, stressing that it reflected the Board’s commitment to innovation, accountability and continuous improvement.
According to her, the development also signals a shift in the Board’s regulatory approach from enforcement alone to enablement, whereby businesses are supported to comply more efficiently and participate effectively in the industry.
The stakeholders were also sensitised on the upgraded Nigerian Content Development Fund payment system, including procedures for remitting the mandatory one per cent levy and accessing opportunities provided through the Fund.
Under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, one per cent of relevant contracts awarded in connection with upstream oil and gas projects and transactions is paid into the Nigerian Content Development Fund.
Ogbe urged operators, contractors, indigenous companies and other industry stakeholders to embrace the new digital system and actively participate in its implementation.
He stressed that the success of the reform would depend on broad adoption, continuous feedback and sustained engagement between the Board and industry stakeholders.
He said the NCDMB would continue to strengthen stakeholder engagement as part of efforts to improve the implementation of Nigerian content, build indigenous capacity and ensure that a greater proportion of the value generated from Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is retained in the country.
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