Top oil sector officials have hailed Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, a senior executive at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), for authoring a landmark book on Nigeria’s local content journey. The book, “Nigeria’s Local Content: A Journey of Strategic Communication and Economic Transformation,” highlights how public engagement and collaboration have shaped the sector’s growth over the past 15 years.
Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and his gas counterpart, Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, praised Ezeobi for capturing the impact of strategic communication and stakeholder management in driving local content implementation.
Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, described the book as both timely and insightful. He confirmed that the Board would purchase multiple copies. His predecessor, Engr. Simbi Wabote, also commended the work. Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen, applauded the author’s contribution to economic policy awareness.
Book Offers Insights and Roadmap for the Future
The 267-page book is structured in five parts. It explores the evolution of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, oil company divestments, and the role of presidential directives in shaping local content policy. It also includes case studies on NCDMB’s 10-year strategic roadmap and outlines how communication strategies powered key initiatives.
Dr. Ernest Nwapa, NCDMB’s pioneer Executive Secretary, wrote the foreword. The Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO), Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, endorsed the book and recommended it to stakeholders across Africa.
Dr. Ezeobi, who has been part of NCDMB since its inception in 2010, explained that the Nigerian Content Act is one of the most transformational laws since Nigeria’s return to democracy. He said the Act’s success is due to how NCDMB and its partners used public communication and stakeholder engagement.
Targeting industry players, regulators, communicators, scholars, and host communities, the book blends the author’s media background, field experience, and academic work in energy communication.
As Nigeria prepares to mark 15 years of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, this book offers a vital look at the past, and a guide to the future.
