The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has intensified efforts to attract Chinese investment, technology and manufacturing capacity into Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The Board engaged more than 100 Chinese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in Chengdu, China, as part of Nigeria’s participation in the 15th China Shale Oil and Gas Summit held from September 20 to 23, 2026.
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The summit, held at the Chengdu Century City International Conference Centre, was themed “Empowering Efficient and Green Development via Intelligent Technologies, Innovating to Lead the Shale Oil and Gas Revolution.”
Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Director, Project Certification and Authorization Division 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 Board was seeking to move Nigeria-China relations in the oil and gas sector beyond the conventional buyer-seller model towards investment, local manufacturing, technology transfer and integration into global supply chains.
He said the Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Development (NOGICD) Act provides opportunities for oil and gas equipment manufacturing facilities established in Nigeria to participate in the industry, with additional access to markets across the Gulf of Guinea.
According to him, Nigeria is seeking to position itself not only as a market for Chinese products but also as a strategic destination for investment, manufacturing and technology development.
He highlighted the Nigerian Oil and Gas Park Scheme (NOGaPS) as a platform for Chinese OEMs to establish manufacturing, assembly and service operations in Nigeria, while facilitating technology transfer and the integration of Nigerian businesses into their supply chains.
Uzoka said China’s expertise in manufacturing, engineering, technology and energy infrastructure could complement Nigeria’s industrial development objectives.
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He explained that Nigeria’s local content agenda had evolved since the enactment of the Local Content Law in 2010, from increasing Nigerian participation in oil and gas projects to developing industrial capacity, manufacturing, technology ownership and global competitiveness.
The second day of the summit featured a Business-to-Business session organised by 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), Project 100, Renaissance African Energy Company and other industry stakeholders participated in the engagement.
The session also provided Nigerian companies with an opportunity to showcase their capabilities, while Chinese manufacturers explored prospects for market entry, local production and technical cooperation.
Several Chinese OEMs expressed interest in establishing business relationships with Nigerian companies and participating in the country’s expanding oil and gas manufacturing ecosystem.
In her closing remarks, the General Manager, Midstream, Project Certification and Authorization Division, Ms Lekoma Phimia, described the engagement as productive and urged stakeholders to build on the connections established to develop commercially viable and sustainable partnerships.
NCDMB also showcased Nigeria’s oil and gas investment opportunities at an exhibition booth, which attracted industry players and prospective investors seeking information on local content opportunities and establishing operations in the country.
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The Board said its participation in the Chengdu summit was part of efforts to expand Nigeria’s international industrial partnerships and advance the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
It said the initiative was aimed at moving Nigeria’s local content agenda from participation to capability development, manufacturing, technology ownership and regional competitiveness.