The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Ogbe, has urged leading Nigerian oil and gas service providers to channel their expertise into the deep water segment of the industry, where significant opportunities are opening up.

Ogbe made the call during an Inspection Tour of West African Ventures Nigeria Limited’s fabrication yard, machine shop, and jetties at the Federal Ocean Terminal in Onne, Rivers State.

The NCDMB boss said the firm and other established indigenous companies must look beyond traditional onshore and shallow-water operations and position themselves for the deep water space, where global oil majors are steadily moving their activities.

In a statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Communications, NCDMB, Obinna Ezeobi, Ogbe commended not just WAV’s facilities but its long-standing contributions to the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

He described the company as a model of local capacity and proof that indigenous players are ready for more complex assignments in offshore projects.

“You have worked hard; you are a very good company,” Ogbe said, recalling his days as construction manager at Chevron Nigeria Limited when he awarded WAV its first offshore pipe-laying contract, a project he confirmed was executed satisfactorily.

According to him, the infrastructure he saw at WAV’s Onne base underscores its ability to handle world-class projects.

“You have worked hard and you are a very good company. What I have seen today is an eye-opener. You have a 50mm rolling mill; you have ocean-going vessels; you have a good fabrication yard; load-out equipment like the JASCON 8; and a crane with a 160-ton capacity. With these, WAV should participate more actively in offshore and deepwater operations, because all the big players are moving there,” he stated.

Ogbe emphasised that all contracts in the oil and gas industry are awarded through competitive bidding.

He reaffirmed the NCDMB’s commitment to transparency and professionalism, stressing that Nigerian firms have the technical depth and operational experience to compete effectively with international contractors in the deepwater domain.

The NCDMB boss assured WAV that the board would continue to promote indigenous companies with proven expertise, especially as Nigeria looks to increase local participation in high-value deepwater operations adding that firms like WAV, which have built capacity over decades, are strategically positioned to play bigger roles as the industry evolves.

Responding, WAV’s Managing Director, Michael Amaeshike, highlighted the company’s more than four decades of operations as a strong showcase of Nigerian capacity in oil and gas services. He noted that WAV had not only delivered critical projects but had also shaped the careers of countless professionals across engineering, maritime, procurement, and construction.

“West African Ventures has consistently portrayed local content the way it should be,” Amaeshike stated, pointing out that the company recently completed a major infrastructure project for a marginal field operator, further underlining its ability to deliver on complex industry demands.

WAV’s Fabrication Manager, Chimeziri Onwukwe, provided a technical overview of the firm’s operations, which span fabrication of platforms, jackets, modules, tanks, and other essential oil and gas structures. He added that WAV’s integrated operations are supported by advanced pipe profiling and plate-cutting machines, alongside an offshore base that provides logistics and marine load-out services.

Onwukwe, however, lamented that despite the company’s huge investments and consistent track record, patronage from operators in the industry has been relatively low.

He called on the NCDMB to help create greater awareness of WAV’s capabilities so that the firm can attract more projects.

By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu