Sopuruchi Onwuka

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has strengthened its position as a national leader in public sector efficiency, securing the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council’s Transparency and Efficiency Champion Award for the fourth year in a row.

The Board took first place in PEBEC’s Transparency and Efficiency Champion Award in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; a record that reflects consistent reforms and measurable improvements across its operations.

At the 2025 award which was presented at the State House in Abuja. Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe noted that the Board’s success comes from a clear focus on policy alignment, disciplined execution, and shared responsibility across departments.

Engr Ogbe whose remarks were presented by the Acting Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Omomehin Ajimijaye made it clear that the Board’s results over the last four years are tied to practical reforms that improved how companies interact with the institution.

Within the four-year period under evaluation among all government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), NCDMB simplified several major workflows that previously required multiple physical visits. Permit applications, Nigerian Content Plan reviews, and vendor registration are now processed through digital platforms that guide users step by step. This reduced processing time for some services from weeks to days and gave operators real-time visibility of the status of their submissions.

Oracle Intelligence reports that the Board also publishes clear service timelines, updated regulatory guidelines, and fee schedules on its platforms; giving operators a predictable path to compliance.

General Manager in charge of Corporate Communications, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, explains that the dashboards which track performance targets are reviewed internally and with industry groups to improve on measures that help address recurring complaints and improve accountability.

On closer stakeholder engagement, Dr Ezeobi states that the NCDMB has severally hosted regular forums with operators. The meetings, retreats and workshops have led to the introduction of help desks for marine vessel compliance, expatriate quota applications, and research and development programs.

The help desks, according to him, have resolved bottlenecks faster and made it easier for companies to escalate issues without long delays. He added that the Board’s quick response to industry feedback helped streamline document requirements and remove overlapping steps across some approval processes.

According to our review of improvements on operators’ experiences with the agency.
NCDMB has ensured that its internal processes matched national ease of doing business standards by adopting standardized service templates, revising internal escalation procedures, and completing periodic audits that highlighted areas for improvement.

The Board maintained full compliance in each assessment cycle, Dr Ezeobi stated in a phone chat with our correspondents.

Also, the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate of the NCDMB introduced routine performance scorecard that track processing times, staff response rates, and feedback from operators. The scorecards, according to Dr Ezeobi, informed decisions that strengthened turnaround time, especially in divisions handling high-volume industry submissions.

The reforms had set the foundation for the Board’s recognition as the best-performing agency in Ease of Doing Business at the 2025 PEBEC Awards.

The Board also received the Reform Champion Award, presented to Engr. Cityfaith Baribor Zorasi for outstanding work as NCDMB’s liaison to PEBEC.

Vice President Kashim Shettima chaired the ceremony, while PEBEC Director General, Princess Zarah Audu, praised the Board for reducing human interference in its processes and urged other agencies to adopt similar systems.

NCDMB reaffirmed its commitment to raising service standards, strengthening institutional performance, and improving the competitiveness of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry under the NOGICD Act of 2010.

The Board thanked PEBEC for the recognition and acknowledged the dedication of its staff, whose efforts continue to keep the institution at the top of national performance rankings.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has strengthened its position as a national leader in public sector efficiency, securing the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council’s Transparency and Efficiency Champion Award for the fourth year in a row.

The Board took first place in PEBEC’s Transparency and Efficiency Champion Award in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; a record that reflects consistent reforms and measurable improvements across its operations.

At the 2025 award which was presented at the State House in Abuja. Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe noted that the Board’s success comes from a clear focus on policy alignment, disciplined execution, and shared responsibility across departments.

Engr Ogbe whose remarks were presented by the Acting Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Omomehin Ajimijaye made it clear that the Board’s results over the last four years are tied to practical reforms that improved how companies interact with the institution.

Within the four-year period under evaluation among all government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), NCDMB simplified several major workflows that previously required multiple physical visits. Permit applications, Nigerian Content Plan reviews, and vendor registration are now processed through digital platforms that guide users step by step. This reduced processing time for some services from weeks to days and gave operators real-time visibility of the status of their submissions.

Oracle Intelligence reports that the Board also publishes clear service timelines, updated regulatory guidelines, and fee schedules on its platforms; giving operators a predictable path to compliance.

General Manager in charge of Corporate Communications, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, explains that the dashboards which track performance targets are reviewed internally and with industry groups to improve on measures that help address recurring complaints and improve accountability.

On closer stakeholder engagement, Dr Ezeobi states that the NCDMB has severally hosted regular forums with operators. The meetings, retreats and workshops have led to the introduction of help desks for marine vessel compliance, expatriate quota applications, and research and development programs.

The help desks, according to him, have resolved bottlenecks faster and made it easier for companies to escalate issues without long delays. He added that the Board’s quick response to industry feedback helped streamline document requirements and remove overlapping steps across some approval processes.

According to our review of improvements on operators’ experiences with the agency.
NCDMB has ensured that its internal processes matched national ease of doing business standards by adopting standardized service templates, revising internal escalation procedures, and completing periodic audits that highlighted areas for improvement.

The Board maintained full compliance in each assessment cycle, Dr Ezeobi stated in a phone chat with our correspondents.

Also, the Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate of the NCDMB introduced routine performance scorecard that track processing times, staff response rates, and feedback from operators. The scorecards, according to Dr Ezeobi, informed decisions that strengthened turnaround time, especially in divisions handling high-volume industry submissions.

The reforms had set the foundation for the Board’s recognition as the best-performing agency in Ease of Doing Business at the 2025 PEBEC Awards.

The Board also received the Reform Champion Award, presented to Engr. Cityfaith Baribor Zorasi for outstanding work as NCDMB’s liaison to PEBEC.

Vice President Kashim Shettima chaired the ceremony, while PEBEC Director General, Princess Zarah Audu, praised the Board for reducing human interference in its processes and urged other agencies to adopt similar systems.

NCDMB reaffirmed its commitment to raising service standards, strengthening institutional performance, and improving the competitiveness of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry under the NOGICD Act of 2010.

The Board thanked PEBEC for the recognition and acknowledged the dedication of its staff, whose efforts continue to keep the institution at the top of national performance rankings.