The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Felix Ogbe, has called for unprecedented collaboration across the continent to propel Africa’s energy sector to global competitiveness.
Speaking at the 10th edition of SAIPEC in Lagos, Ogbe stressed that shared vision and cross-border cooperation are critical to developing sustainable local content strategies.
According to Ogbe, collaboration between governments, private sector players, and local communities is foundational to successful local content policies.
“Collaboration between governments, private sector players, and local communities continues to demonstrate itself as the bedrock upon which we must build successful local content strategies,” he said.
He stated that in Nigeria, the local content strategy has been intentional and methodically implemented.
“First, we focused on deepening indigenous participation, then capacity building and now policies and guidelines that prohibit the transfer of certification to intermediaries. This approach is aimed at ensuring that the Board works with very competent and capable contractors; this will now be a critical criterion in technical tenders,” Ogbe explained.
At the continental level, he emphasised the need for alignment and regulatory harmonisation, saying, “We must collectively leverage the Brazzaville Accord to promote regulatory harmonisation, sectoral cooperation, and an Afrocentric approach to local content development.”
The executive secretary explained that by aligning frameworks and minimising bottlenecks, “we can make our projects more competitive and economically viable to enable us to compete for funds globally.”
Ogbe also called attention to the strategic importance of the Africa Energy Bank, established under the African Petroleum Producers Organisation in partnership with Afreximbank.
“The Bank is designed to mobilise capital for African energy projects, provide access to more affordable financing, strengthen industry players, and boost capacity across the continent,” he said.
He urged all stakeholders to actively support the operational success of the bank: “I therefore urge all stakeholders, governments, regulators, investors, and industry leaders to actively support the realisation and operational success of the Africa Energy Bank as we work to unlock sustainable growth across Africa’s energy sector.”
He reiterated that collaboration is indispensable for Africa’s energy future, adding, “By working together across borders, industries, and sectors, we will be able to craft robust, all-inclusive, and sustainable local content strategies that propel Africa’s energy sector to new and greater heights in a rapidly changing world.”