Author: Vardiafrica

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is delighted to announce that Professor Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, and former chairman of NCDMB’s Governing Council, will serve as the Role Model and Guest Speaker at the NCDMB Business Mentorship Lecture Series (BMLS) for Q3 2025. This edition of the BMLS will be held on Monday, September 8, 2025, from 10am via Zoom Webinar and NCDMB’s YouTube channel. The session will be moderated by Richmond Osuji, a leading event compere in the oil and gas industry. Launched in 2019 under Section 67 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, the Business Mentorship Lecture Seriespromote the Act’s…

Sidi Ould Tah has been sworn in as the 9th president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, succeeding Akinwumi Adesina, whose 10-year tenure ended on Monday. On May 29, Tah, a seasoned economist and development finance expert from Mauritania, secured 76.18 percent of the votes in the election held during the AfDB’s annual meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. At the annual meeting 2025, the newly elected president, in his victory speech, expressed enthusiasm and readiness to begin his presidential duties. Tah emphasised collaboration and hard work as key to addressing challenges, adding that his administration focuses on economic development and social…

A district court in Finland has sentenced Simon Ekpa to six years in prison for terrorism. Ekpa, an agitator for the actualisation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was sentenced on Monday, September 1. In the ruling, the Päijät-Häme court found Ekpa guilty of inciting terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Acording to Finnish newspaper Yle, the court said Ekpa had used his “significant social media following” to stoke tensions in Nigeria’s south-east region between August 2021 and November 2024. The district court also noted that Ekpa had supplied certain groups with weapons, explosives, and ammunition “through his network…

Capacity building for Nigeria’s maritime sector received a boost on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as 39 young graduates underwent preliminary processes for cadetship under a Nigerian Content-Human Capacity Development (NC-HCD) programmeof Chevron Nigeria Limited and Intels Nigeria Limited. The NC-HCD initiative, patterned after the 60:20:20 Strategic Training Model of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), provides for sea time experience and Certificate of Competence (CoC) training, practical exposure, and real-time experience across multiple technical domains within the facilities of the of Lagos-based StoilicShipping Limited, a leading member of the International Maritime Professionals Association (IMPA). Conceived in fulfilment of a policy thrust of…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in collaboration with Coppercrux Limited, on Monday in Port Harcourt flagged off a 5-day Awareness and Capacity Building Workshop for youths in the South-South region on compressed natural gas (CNG) technologies and the associated value chains. Areas covered on Day 1 of the training programme include “Introduction to CNG and Energy Transition: Awareness, Importance and Benefits,” “Presidential CNG Initiative: An Overview,” and “Economic Opportunities for Youths in the Green Energy Sector,” with interactive sessions during intervals for questions and answers between participants and resource persons. In a welcome address at the event,…

 The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, recently conducted a joint project site inspection at the Government Technical College (GTC), Port Harcourt, in Rivers State. The inspection marked a significant milestone in the implementation of a Human Capacity Development (HCD) institutional strengthening intervention under the NCDMB’s strategic push for sustainable TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) development in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The NCDMB team was led by the Director, Capacity Building Directorate (CBD), Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, while the Renaissance Africa team was led by its Executive Director, Mr. Igo Weli. Also…

The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd.) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of Saturday’s local government elections, describing it as a decisive step toward restoring full democratic governance at the grassroots. Vice Admiral Ibas, who monitored the exercise in several local government areas, expressed satisfaction with the comportment of voters and election officials, noting that their conduct created a calm and secure environment for the polls. Speaking with reporters in Port Harcourt, the administrator highlighted the voter turnout and the serenity at polling units as proof of Rivers people’s eagerness to reclaim and participate in grassroots…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Thursday in Port Harcourt organized a workshopfor media stakeholders and youth groups, providing profoundinsights into the structural organisation, internal workings, accomplishments and operational targets of the agency after 15 epochal years as an effective driver of local content and regulator in the oil and gas industry. Billed as a signature event of the NCDMB, having been held regularly since the beginning of the Board in 2010, the workshop also acquainted participants with procedures for registration for employment or training programmes in industry-related skill sets, engagement as industry contractors or vendors, and also the Board’s ‘Community Content Guidelines,’ designedto ensure integration of host communities into the oil and gas…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the “coast is clear” for the termination of the emergency rule in Rivers state. The former Rivers governor said the conduct of the state’s local government elections has cleared the path for the end of the emergency rule. The minister spoke to journalists on Saturday after casting his vote in the LG elections in the state. “I do know that by September 18, the state of emergency will expire, and that would mean that the state governor and state assembly will come back to their job, and we will have…

Governors of Nigeria’s six North-East states have raised the alarm over looming humanitarian and economic crises in the region, citing climate change, rising agricultural costs, and fragile infrastructure as threats to millions of livelihoods. The warning came in a communiqué issued at the close of the North-East Governors’ Forum (NEGF) 12th meeting, held on Saturday in Jalingo, Taraba State. The Forum is chaired by Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum. While commending progress in the fight against insurgency, the governors expressed concern that insecurity, displacement, and poverty are being compounded by emerging challenges. They highlighted forecasts from credible climate agencies…