By Seun Ibiyemi
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has urged journalists in Anambra State and the wider South-East region to intensify coverage of local content activities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry to help residents benefit from employment, training and business opportunities.
The Board made the call on Thursday during a capacity-building workshop for media stakeholders in Awka, Anambra State, marking its first edition in the South-East region.
The workshop was organised to sensitise media professionals and other stakeholders to the Board’s mandate, programmes and opportunities available through the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act.
Speaking at the event, the General Manager, Corporate Communications of NCDMB, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, said the initiative reflected the Board’s commitment to strengthening stakeholder engagement and improving public understanding of Nigerian content development.
Ezeobi acknowledged the support of the Executive Secretary, Engr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, for the workshop, noting that effective communication and media engagement were critical to the successful implementation of local content policies.
He urged journalists to improve their reporting of the oil and gas industry and local content activities, stressing that informed coverage would help people in the region understand and access opportunities within the sector.
He also called on the media to hold oil and gas operators accountable for compliance with Nigerian content requirements.
In his presentation, NCDMB’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Omomehin Ajimijaye, said the Board had conducted engagement sessions with several stakeholders, including the judiciary, immigration agencies and other players in the national economy.
Ajimijaye stressed that the Board’s operations were not restricted to any particular region, encouraging individuals and businesses in the South-East to participate more actively in the oil and gas industry.
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He particularly urged young people and companies in Anambra State to register on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS) portal to improve their access to capacity-building initiatives and employment opportunities.
The director also highlighted the Board’s achievements, including its consecutive recognition by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) for transparency and efficiency.
The workshop attracted participants from various media organisations and featured two plenary sessions focusing on community content, evolving trends in journalism and strategies for strengthening professional excellence in the digital age.
Other NCDMB officials at the event included the General Manager, Zonal Coordination, Mr Ifeanyi Ukoha; Senior Manager, Zonal Coordination, Mr Adebayo Joseph; Imo/Abia Zonal Coordinator, Dr Emmanuel Ohanyere; and Deputy Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation, Engr Emmanuel Umeanya.
The Anambra State Government was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Value Orientation, Dr Law Mefor, and the Special Adviser on Youths Reorientation, Dr Nelson Omenugha.
