{
  "id": 8583517,
  "title": "Beyond Participation: Rethinking the Measure of Nigerian Content",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/beyond-participation-rethinking-the-measure-of-nigerian-content",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-19T00:07:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/19/beyond-participation-rethinking-the-measure-of-nigerian-content-2/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nigeria has made significant strides in retaining value from its oil and gas industry through its Nigerian Content policy. The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has set a goal of 70% Nigerian Content by 2027, up from less than 5% in 2000. This policy has led to increased participation from Nigerian companies in various segments of the oil and gas value chain, including positions previously held by foreign contractors. However, the industry must now focus on transforming participation into lasting industrial capabilities. To achieve this, Nigeria should aim to develop knowledge, infrastructure, technology, intellectual capital, and technical competence that remain in the country after economic activity is completed. This distinction is crucial, as participation indicates who is involved in economic activity, while capability reflects the knowledge and infrastructure that remain in Nigeria after that activity. As Nigeria approaches its 70% Nigerian Content target, the percentage should not be the sole measure of progress. Instead, the industry should focus on the increasing complexity of work that Nigerian companies and professionals can undertake to internationally acceptable standards. This question should guide the development of indigenous capabilities in equipment handling, technical expertise, and the execution of complex scopes. The strategic opportunity lies in replacing imported products with locally produced ones, but the focus should be on developing the capability behind those products. For instance, local technical support, testing and refurbishment, machining, assembly, and domestic manufacturing may become viable as demand, infrastructure, and economics allow. Ultimately, Nigeria's domestic market could become competitive enough to serve customers elsewhere in Africa.",
  "summary": "Tina Unachukwu Nigeria has made substantial progress in addressing one of the defining questions of its oil and gas industry: How much of the value created by its hydrocarbon resources",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}