By Sandra Chukwunyere
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is seeking to deepen Nigeria’s industrial partnership with China by attracting more investment, technology and manufacturing capacity into the country’s oil and gas sector.
The Board made the move in Chengdu, China, where it engaged more than 100 Chinese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) on opportunities to establish manufacturing, assembly and service operations in Nigeria.
The engagement formed part of Nigeria’s participation in the 15th China Shale Oil and Gas Summit, held from September 20 to 23, 2026, at the Chengdu Century City International Conference Centre.
The summit, themed “Empowering Efficient and Green Development via Intelligent Technologies, Innovating to Lead the Shale Oil and Gas Revolution,” provided a platform for the NCDMB and representatives of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry to highlight investment opportunities in manufacturing, technology and oil and gas services.
Representing the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Director, Project Certification and Authorization Division (PCAD) and Senior Technical Adviser to the Executive Secretary, Engr. Austin Uzoka, delivered a keynote address titled “Nigeria’s Local Content Journey and Opportunities for Chinese Collaboration in Oil and Gas Equipment Manufacturing.”
Uzoka said the NCDMB was looking to move Nigeria-China relations in the oil and gas sector beyond the traditional buyer-seller arrangement towards deeper partnerships involving investment, local manufacturing, technology transfer and integration into global supply chains.
“We are looking beyond the traditional buyer-seller relationship. What can we build together? We want Chinese companies to see Nigeria not simply as a market for their products, but as a strategic investment destination, a platform for manufacturing and technology development, and a gateway to opportunities across the wider African market,” he said.
He also highlighted the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGaPS) as a platform through which Chinese OEMs can establish manufacturing, assembly and service operations in Nigeria.
According to the Board, the scheme offers opportunities for technology transfer, technical partnerships and the integration of Nigerian businesses into the supply chains of international manufacturers.
Uzoka said China’s strength in manufacturing, engineering, technology and energy infrastructure could complement Nigeria’s industrial development objectives.
“China has developed tremendous capabilities in manufacturing, engineering, technology and energy infrastructure. We want to explore how those capabilities can be connected with the opportunities that exist in Nigeria, for mutual benefits,” he added.
He explained that Nigeria’s local content agenda had evolved significantly since the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act in 2010.
According to him, the policy has expanded from its initial focus on increasing Nigerian participation in oil and gas projects to a broader industrial development agenda covering manufacturing, technology ownership, capacity building and global competitiveness.
The second day of the summit featured a Business-to-Business (B2B) session organised by the NCDMB, attracting more than 100 Chinese equipment manufacturers and Nigerian oil and gas stakeholders.
The session focused on opportunities in local manufacturing, supply-chain integration, investment, technology development and market access.
Representatives of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), led by Mr. Sylvester Ovunwese, participated in the engagement alongside representatives of Project 100, including Mrs. Olateju Oyelakun of Encapsulate Nigeria Limited and Mr. Namdi Akudulu of Wider Energy.
Renaissance African Energy Company was represented by its General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Engr. Olarenwaju Lanre Olawuyi, who made a presentation on behalf of the company and the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS).
The B2B session provided an opportunity for Nigerian companies to showcase their capabilities, while Chinese manufacturers explored prospects for market entry, local production, technical cooperation and partnerships with Nigerian businesses.
The engagement attracted interest from participating Chinese OEMs, with several expressing willingness to explore business relationships with Nigerian companies and opportunities within Nigeria’s growing oil and gas manufacturing ecosystem.
In her closing remarks, the General Manager, Midstream, PCAD, Ms. Lekoma Phimia, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the engagement and urged participants to build on the connections established during the session.
She encouraged stakeholders to develop commercially viable and sustainable business relationships from the opportunities identified at the summit.
The NCDMB’s participation also extended to the exhibition floor, where its booth attracted industry players, visitors and prospective investors seeking information about Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, local content opportunities and prospects for establishing business operations in the country.
The Chengdu engagement is part of the Board’s efforts to expand Nigeria’s international industrial partnerships and advance the objectives of the NOGICD Act.
By connecting Nigerian businesses with global manufacturers and technology providers, the NCDMB is seeking to deepen the local content agenda by strengthening domestic capabilities, expanding manufacturing, promoting technology ownership and improving Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional and global markets.
