By:Punchng

Nigeria’s in-country fabrication capacity in the oil and gas industry has now surpassed national demand, enabling local companies to provide fabrication services to other African countries and the Middle East.

This was disclosed by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board during the flag-off of a 12-month Nigerian Content Non-Compliance (NC-NC) Remediation Training Programme recently in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, who was represented by the General Manager of Corporate Communicationst and Zonal Coordination, Mr Esueme Dan Kikile, said the achievement was a key milestone under the Board’s 10-Year Strategic Road Map, initiated in 2017.

“We now have excess capacity in terms of fabrication in-country; we are exporting…outside this country,” Ogbe declared, underscoring the growth of Nigeria’s local content capabilities.

The 10-Year Road Map was developed to increase Nigerian content in the oil and gas sector from 26 per cent in 2017 to 70 per cent by 2027. A major focus of the plan is technical capability development, specifically to enhance the local supply chain without compromising quality and safety standards.

At the inception of the NCDMB in 2010, Nigeria’s fabrication capacity stood at less than 50,000 metric tonnes annually. That figure climbed to over 228,000 metric tonnes by 2017 and has since grown significantly, resulting in a substantial reduction in the importation of line pipes and other materials.

The development has helped retain capital within the country and created employment opportunities.

Fabrication yards now provide services such as shipbuilding, steel structure erection, and metal frame fabrication. Leading firms in the sector include Nigerdock Nigeria Plc, Dorman Long Engineering, Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria, Saipem Nigeria, Bablink Resources, Aveon Offshore, and AOS Orwell, among others.

Ogbe said the Board has a broader target of creating 300,000 jobs within the oil and gas industry and linkage sectors like power and construction. “We are not at 300,000 yet, but we have done very well,” he said. He added that several NCDMB-trained Nigerians are now employed in other parts of Africa.

The Remediation Training Programme, sponsored by Waltersmith Petroleum Oil Limited, is being delivered by Dexterous Applied Training Institute. The programme covers both general courses—such as entrepreneurship, ICT, safety at work, and Nigerian Content awareness—and specialised skill sets, including instrumentation and control engineering, quality assurance, and process engineering.

The current batch of the programme comprises 23 out of 52 selected participants. The general courses are being held at the NCDMB Learning Centre in Yenagoa, while hands-on specialised training will take place in Port Harcourt.