Nigeria’s Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has launched a 100 million dollar Equity Investment Scheme to expand financing access for indigenous oil and gas companies. The initiative was unveiled at the 2025 Practical Nigerian Content Forum in Yenagoa, where the board said the fund is designed to help local firms scale operations and compete more effectively for major projects. This was confirmed in statements reported by ThisDay.
The fund, developed in partnership with the Bank of Industry, will provide equity and quasi-equity financing to high-growth energy service companies. According to the Bank of Industry’s announcement, the scheme aims to accelerate local participation across the upstream, midstream and downstream segments by enabling firms to invest in equipment, technology and project expansion. The board said the new facility raises its total industry intervention support to about 550 million dollars, as highlighted by Punch Nigeria.
NCDMB Executive Secretary Felix Ogbe stated that the introduction of an equity-based mechanism reflects a shift toward deeper, longer term support for domestic players. Ogbe explained that the objective is to empower Nigerian companies to capture more value within the country’s oil and gas sector and reduce reliance on foreign service providers. This position was reiterated in coverage by AP News Africa.
The board also announced that beginning January 1, 2026, companies will be required to obtain a Compliance Certificate to demonstrate adherence to statutory remittances before securing key industry permits. According to The Star, the measure is intended to improve transparency, boost accountability and ensure that the benefits of Nigeria’s content framework extend across the sector.
Supporters of the programme say the new equity scheme could stimulate investment, strengthen the domestic supply chain and reinforce Nigeria’s broader strategy of building a competitive and self-sustaining oil and gas ecosystem.
