Business
Ministers, Oil Industry Leaders, Others To Grace 13th NCDMB’s PNC In Bayelsa
Nigerian Ministers, industry leaders, stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, and members of both chambers of the National Assembly have been confirmed to be in attendance at the 2024 edition of the annual Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Conference and Exhibition slated for the first week of December at the Nigerian Content Tower, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The theme of the event is “Deepening the Next Frontier for Nigerian Content Implementation”.
A statement from the Directorate of Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination of the Nigerian Content Development Management Board (NCDMB) made available to newsmen says that the annual conference and exhibition is a signature event hosted by the Board in partnership with DMG Events.
According to the statement, the 2024 edition of the event will commence today, with a golf tourney at the Henry Seriake Golf and Country Club, Yenagoa and a welcome reception in the evening to be hosted by Coleman Wires and Cables at the newly opened Best Western Hotel, Swali, Yenagoa.
The Tide was also informed that the formal opening ceremony will begin at 9am tomorow with speeches by the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe.
Goodwill messages, according to the Board’s statement, would be delivered by the Chief Executive, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, the Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr. Farouk Ahmed, and the Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, Mr. Mele Kolo Kyari.
Other top officials slated to speak at the 2024 PNC opening ceremony are the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, and their counterpart from the Ministry of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring, Honourable Boma Goodhead, are also billed to speak at the opening day.
The first panel discussion will analyse “The Next Frontier for Nigerian Content: Divestments and Offshore Opportunities”, and the cast will include the Director, Project Certification and Authorisation, NCDMB, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, alongside the Chairman, Chevron Nigeria, Mr. Jim Swartz, the Executive Director, TotalEnergies E&P Nigeria, Mr. Obi Imemba, the Group Chief Executive, Oando PLC, Mr. Wale Tinubu, and the Managing Director, Aradel Holdings, Engr. Adegbite Falade.
The second panel will discuss “Evaluating Financial Strategies for Increased Local Content Implementation”.
Some of the discussants will include l; the Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO), Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim; the Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BOI), Dr. Olasupo Olusi; and the Director, Finance & Personnel Management, NCDMB, Ifeanyi Ukoha.
While the second day of the conference will also feature panel discussions on topical industry issues as “Nigerian Content Beyond Borders”, “Nigerian Content from the Grass Roots: Community Capacity Development”, and “From Policy to Practice: Strengthening Domestication for Economic Development”.
Major highlights of the 2024 PNC will include the unveiling of new operational policies by the NCDMB and exhibition of projects and capacities by international and indigenous operating and service oil and gas companies.
Delegates attending this year’s event can also look forward to the gala dinners to be hosted by the Bayelsa State Government on Tuesday, and by the Nigeria LNG Ltd on Wednesday, in addition to the site visit on Thursday morning to the logistics base of First Marine and Engineering Services Ltd located at Swali, Yenagoa.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Edun made the call while speaking at the 2025 Fellowship Investiture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, where he reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to sustaining ongoing reforms and expanding access to finance as key drivers of economic growth beyond four per cent.
“We all know that monetary policy under Cardoso has stabilised the financial system in a most commendable way. Of course, it is a team effort, and those eye-watering interest rates have to be paid by the fiscal side. But the fight against inflation is one we all have to participate in,” he said.
The minister stressed the need for banks to broaden credit access and finance innovation-driven enterprises that can create jobs for young Nigerians.
“The finance and banking industry has more work to do because we must finance their ideas, deepen the capital and credit markets down to SMEs. They should not have to go to Silicon Valley,” he said.
The minister who described the private sector as the engine of growth, said the government’s reform agenda aims to create an enabling environment where businesses can thrive, access funding, and contribute meaningfully to job creation.
The facility, known as the Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration (P512892), is a Development Policy Financing (DPF) operation scheduled for World Bank Board consideration on December 16, 2025.
According to the Bank’s concept note , the financing would comprise $500m in International Development Association (IDA) credit and $500m in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan.
If approved, it would be the second-largest single loan Nigeria has received from the World Bank under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, following the $1.5 billion facility granted in June 2024 under the Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation (RESET) initiative.
The World Bank said the new programme aims to support Nigeria’s shift from short-term macroeconomic stabilisation to sustainable, private sector–led growth.
“The proposed Development Policy Financing (DPF) supports Nigeria’s pivot from stabilization to inclusive growth and job creation. Structured as a two-tranche standalone operation of US$1.0 billion (US$500 million IDA credit and US$500 million IBRD loan), it seeks to catalyse private sector–led investment by expanding access to credit, deepening capital markets and digital services, easing inflationary pressures, and promoting export diversification,” the document read.
The document further stated that Nigeria’s private sector credit-to-GDP ratio stood at only 21.3 per cent in 2024, significantly below that of emerging-market peers, while capital markets remain shallow, with sovereign securities dominating the bond market.
To address these weaknesses, the DPF will support the implementation of the Investment and Securities Act 2025, operationalisation of credit-enhancement facilities, and introduction of a comprehensive Central Bank of Nigeria rulebook to strengthen risk-based regulation and consumer protection.
The operation also includes measures to deepen digital inclusion through the passage of the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2025, which will establish a legal framework for electronic transactions, authentication services, and digital records.
Beyond the financial and digital sectors, the programme targets reforms to lower production and living costs by tackling Nigeria’s restrictive trade regime. High tariffs and import bans have long driven up consumer prices and constrained competitiveness, particularly for manufacturers and farmers.
Under the proposed reforms, Nigeria would adopt AfCFTA tariff concessions, rationalise import restrictions, and simplify agricultural seed certification to increase the supply of high-quality varieties for maize, rice, and soybeans. The World Bank projects that these measures will help reduce food inflation, attract private investment, and enhance export potential.
The operation is part of a broader World Bank FY26 package that includes three complementary projects—Fostering Inclusive Finance for MSMEs (FINCLUDE), Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE), and Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth (AGROW)—all focused on expanding access to finance, strengthening institutions, and mobilising private capital.