The Minister of State for Petroleum Assets (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Minister of State for Petroleum Assets (Fuel), Ekperikpe Ekpo, on Monday renewed requires the complete realisation of native content material growth throughout Nigeria’s petroleum trade, urging stakeholders to maneuver from mere compliance to measurable capability progress.
Each ministers spoke in Abuja on the pre-conference session of the 2026 Nigeria Worldwide Power Summit, the place discussions centred on strengthening indigenous participation and constructing aggressive African vitality firms.
Lokpobiri described native content material as central to Nigeria’s vitality growth and Africa’s broader {economic} progress.
His phrases: “We had the privilege of turning into Ministers. I hear that as we speak’s version is devoted to native content material. And native content material is so basic to Africa’s achievement of our vitality, , progress as a rustic.”
He famous that difficulties surrounding the implementation of the Native Content material Act had been among the many first points he confronted after assuming workplace, particularly the unusually excessive value of executing tasks inside Nigeria in comparison with different international locations.
“And so we needed to discover a answer. Can’t see the explanation why a rustic that’s bodily at residence can have decrease challenge prices than Nigeria. And so we needed to deal with that downside.
“And we came upon that the issue was, , misapplication of the native content material. Actually, I used to be a senator when the native content material legislation was handed in 2010. And I used to be a member of the committee.”
Whereas the Nigerian Oil and Fuel Business Content material Improvement Act was launched to strengthen indigenous capability, the minister mentioned poor utility over time has inflated prices and slowed the expansion of native companies.
He defined that the Federal Authorities, below President Bola Tinubu, has begun addressing the gaps by means of government orders and stricter adherence to the unique intent of the legislation.
In response to him, the Act was by no means designed to close out international engineering, procurement and development companies, however to encourage collaboration with Nigerian firms.
“Nigeria is large enough for each EPC firms and indigenous firms to coexist. Advanced offshore tasks nonetheless require EPC experience, whereas collaboration will help scale back prices and enhance competitiveness,” he mentioned.
Lokpobiri added that engagements are ongoing amongst EPC contractors, worldwide oil firms and indigenous operators to advertise joint ventures, enhance effectivity and retain extra worth inside the nation.
He additionally expressed concern that some companies that benefited from funding below the NOGICD Act didn’t construct lasting capability, opting as a substitute for short-term features — a development he mentioned has prompted renewed authorities give attention to accountability and strategic oversight.
He assured that financing assist would now goal firms genuinely dedicated to sustainable progress able to serving each Nigeria and the broader African market.
“There isn’t a competitors between native and worldwide firms. The area is giant sufficient to accommodate everybody by means of collaboration and shared worth creation,” the minister assured.
On his half, Ekpo mentioned native content material implementation has traditionally been pushed largely by regulatory compliance — assembly contract, labour and possession thresholds — moderately than by constructing globally aggressive indigenous firms.
He famous that whereas participation has elevated, it has not at all times translated into sturdy technological functionality or sustainable worth retention.
Ekpo confused that the trade should now undertake a performance-based strategy that intentionally strengthens long-term competitiveness.
He mentioned this could require creating indigenous experience throughout engineering and challenge execution, gasoline processing, pipeline development, operations and upkeep, fabrication, LNG and FLNG providers, gas-based manufacturing and downstream utilisation.
In response to him, Nigerian and African companies have to be “productive, modern, bankable, and export prepared.”
Different officers on the summit echoed the decision for capability growth. Representing the Everlasting Secretary of the ministry, Endurance Oyekunle, Director of Midstream and Downstream, Irene Ikemba, mentioned Africa’s vitality future have to be formed by competitiveness, functionality and shared prosperity.
She added that the summit’s theme, “Power for Peace and Prosperity: Securing Our Shared Future,” underscores the position of vitality as a driver of industrialisation, stability and inclusive {economic} progress.
Stakeholders had been urged to make use of the 2026 summit to develop sensible, actionable methods that may strengthen native content material and assist Nigeria’s {economic} transformation.