… recommends focus on practical frameworks, scalable models that translate local content to sustainable prosperity
Oredola Adeola
Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), has called for a strategic shift in how government and industry stakeholders design and implement local content policies, moving from compliance-driven approaches to performance-based models that strengthen industrial capacity and enhance long-term competitiveness in the gas sector.
He therefore recommended the development of strong indigenous capacity to ensure that Nigerian and African companies are not only present in the gas value chain but also productive, innovative, bankable, and export ready.
He made the statement during the strategic session on “Local Content Beyond Compliance: Building African Industrial Powerhouses” at the 9th Nigeria International Energy Summit, held under the theme “Energy for Peace and Prosperity: Securing Our Shared Future.”
The Minister who was represented at the event by Mrs. Patience Oyekunle, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, emphasized that performance-driven local content requires a “new compact” between government, industry operators, financial institutions, and training and research institutions.
According to him, the government must continue to provide clear, stable, and coordinated policy signals that reward capability development and long-term investment, while industry operators must embed local capacity development into project design as a core value driver rather than an afterthought.
The Minster further urged financial institutions to innovate to de-risk gas projects for indigenous firms and also charged PTDF and other training institutions to align skill development with the technical, digital, and operational demands of a modern gas industry.
Ekpo said, “If we get this right, local content becomes a catalyst for the emergence of African industrial powerhouses — companies capable of serving domestic gas markets, competing effectively in regional projects, and exporting services, skills, and expertise beyond the continent,
“This is how gas becomes not only a transition fuel, but a true transformation fuel,” he said.
The Minister commended President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to economic reform, energy security, and industrialization, which continue to guide Nigeria’s gas-led development agenda.
He stressed that natural gas is critical not only to energy security and a pragmatic transition to lower-carbon systems, but also as the backbone of industrialization and economic resilience.
“For Africa, and particularly for Nigeria, gas represents our most immediate, scalable, and inclusive pathway to economic diversification, industrial growth, and shared prosperity.
“Unlocking this potential requires more than abundant reserves, infrastructure development, or policy declarations. It demands a deliberate and strategic shift in how we conceive, design, and implement local content across the gas value chain,” he said.
Ekpo noted that historically, local content implementation has been compliance-driven, focusing on meeting thresholds for contracts, labor, and ownership.
“While this increased participation, it did not always produce globally competitive indigenous gas companies, advanced technological capability, or deep and sustainable value retention within the economy,” he said.
The Minister also challenged government and industry players to move beyond compliance toward performance-driven local content, stressing that this approach builds industrial strength and long-term competitiveness.
“In the gas industry, this means developing robust indigenous capacity across engineering, project execution, gas processing, pipeline construction, operations and maintenance, fabrication, LNG and FLNG services, gas-based manufacturing, and downstream utilization. Nigerian and African companies must not only be present in the value chain, but productive, innovative, bankable, and export-ready,” Ekpo said.
The Minister further noted that gas remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan and broader industrial agenda.
“From power generation and clean cooking to fertilizers, petrochemicals, methanol, and compressed natural gas for transportation, the gas value chain offers immense opportunities for job creation, industrial clustering, and regional integration.
“These opportunities can only be sustained if local companies possess the requisite skills, technology, financing, and governance standards to compete at scale,” he said.
Ekpo further urged industry players to focus on practical frameworks, measurable outcomes, and scalable models that translate local content in the gas sector into inclusive and sustainable prosperity, determining whether Africa remains merely a supplier of raw energy or emerges as a global leader in gas-based industrial development.
