Business

NCDMB, NEXIM Disburse $42m Loans To Boost Local Content In Oil Sector

Published

7 months ago

October 13, 2025

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoriong Board (NCDMB), and Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM) have distributed about $42million loans to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to boost local participation in the oil and gas industry.

The Head, Specialized Business at NEXIM, Muhammed Z. Awami, made the disclosure during a panel session at the NCDMB stakeholders’ sensitization and Engagement Forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Awami said the working capital of Capacity Fund was $30million, but that they exceeded the amount to attract more Nigerian players in oil and gas sector.

Awami appealed to the registered Nigerian oil service providers attached to the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and National Oil Companies (NOCs) to take advantage of the NCDMB Working Capital and Capacity Fund domiciled in NEXIM bank.

He said the fund was designed to offer flexible financing and tailoring solutions to meet their business needs, catalyse business growth, expand global footprint and unlock new opportunities.

In his words, “Once you meet pre-disbursement conditions, we disbursed the funds to you, and after disbursement, we also monitor sometimes jointly with NCDMB, sometimes, we just do spot check assessment of utilization of the funds, to make sure the funds are being utilized for the purpose it was disbursed.

“When it’s time to repay, we expect that repayment are made by the beneficiaries so that we can also lend again to other people, the fund Working Capital and Capacity Fund is $30 million but so far, we have disburse about $42 million.

“So, I’m sure a lot of challenges could be around collateral in terms of how the funds operate, so what we have done is to water down the requirements without compromising the bank or the board, so we use things like the assignments of receivables, we use things like insurance and other forms of collateral which make it easy for the beneficiaries to access the funds.

“Though we are transactional about it, we look at the transaction itself and build the finance structures around the transaction in such a way that the loan becomes self liquidity without the need for physical collateral.”

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, who was represented by Dr. Osa Uchendu, said the forum offered the board an opportunity to deliberate with the stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.

Ogbe pointed out that the conversation would boost more participation of Nigerian players in the oil and gas industry and encourage their business growth.

Also speaking, the Group Head, Oil and Gas, in the Bank of Industry (BoI), Gabriel Yemidale, said the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund (NCI Fund), which started in 2017, with N200million grew to N300million in 2023.

“Most times, I see a lot of people come to the bank to apply for loans, some of them are not veritable for this loan, they are not contributing the one percent, I want to really emphasize on this, that you have to be a contributor to this fund, you have to pay that one percent NCD which the take from your contract, that you have the IOCs.

“We have five funds, the community financing which is now being done with the PFIs, and one of the PFIs, we have given it to FCMB, and why I’m starting with that is because this is the baby of the current Executive Secretary of NCDMB, and he wants to touch the lives of the grassroots, he wants to grow that market, that segment and make them start playing where the foreign players are, which is the life enterprise space.

“So we started that funds with FCMB, and the single obligor is N100 million for starters, we will continue to review it as time goes on, and moratorium on that is 3 to 6 months, and it’s depending on your needs, it’s about two years, all you need to do, go to NCDMB with your ISPO, go with your contract and the loan will be issue to you.

“There is no bank guarantee for community finance, it is just the ISPO, from the IOCs issuing you those PO, this fund is readily available for community people to utilize.

“Also we have the contract financing, which has the single obligor of $5million, there is a portal system that the NCDMB has created. We also have refinance. Refinance is $10million. The aim of all these funds is to create employments, create local and indigenous businesses, they are now able to participate with the foreign and the big boys out there.”, he said.

The Sensitization and Engagement Forum, titled, “Deepening Local Content through Certification, Compliance and Financing Support” had in attendance key players, who came from the oil and gas industry to witness the unveiling of the board’s Compliance Certificate.

Business

Boat Mishap Kills Pastor, Wife And Church Members In Brass Water

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

A boat accident in Bayelsa state has killed a serving Pastor, Wife and other church members along Brass waterways

The sad incident happened at Odioama in Brass local government area of Bayelsa State when the Pastor, wife and members of his church were in a programme.

?Tide confirmed that the lifeless body of the Pastor’s wife has been found and deposited in a mortuary while the remains of her husband ,the Pastor is yet to be recovered

as search party are still ongoing.

Although the real cause of the boat Mishap is not yet known as at the time of this report, our Correspondent gathered that the identities of the Pastor, wife and church members were not disclosed to the public.

The mishap, Tide gathered occurred on Friday morning when the church members were on a boat transit

The Bayelsa State government and the state police command are yet to issue official statement’s on the sad accident

By: CHINEDU WOSU

Business

Rivers Workers Seek Scrapping Of Contributory Pension Scheme

Published

2 days ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Council of Nigeria Civil Service Union has called on the State Government to urgently scrap the contributory pension scheme, describing it as unfavourable to long-serving civil servants in the state.

Chairman of the union, Chukwuka Osuma, said this in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, recently.

Osuma said the current pension structure has continued to worsen post-retirement hardship for workers.

He noted that the contributory pension scheme had failed to provide adequate retirement security for workers who had spent many years in service, especially those approaching retirement age.

According to him, civil servants who had served for more than 20 years were among the worst affected under the scheme, insisting that many retirees could no longer cope with prevailing economic realities.

He also informed that the Union has made moves to showcase their concerns, pleading with Governor Siminalayi Fubara to abolish the pension policy and introduce a more favourable arrangement for affected workers.

“The union was not opposed to pension reforms, the contributory scheme should only apply to newly employed workers or those with fewer years in service”, he said.

Osuma explained that workers who had already spent decades in the civil service ought to remain under a more secure pension structure capable of guaranteeing stability after retirement.

The labour leader further noted that inflation and the rising cost of living had continued to erode the value of retirement savings, thereby increasing the suffering of pensioners across the country.

He also appealed to the state government to consider extending the years of service in the civil service from 35 to 40 years and the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

Osuma argued that such adjustment had become necessary in view of present-day economic realities and changing conditions in the workplace.

The unionist also reviewed that similar policies had already been adopted in some sectors and jurisdictions, expressing optimism that the State could also implement the reforms for the benefit of workers.

He however, commended Governor Fubara for approving an N85,000 minimum wage for workers in the state, noting that the amount was above the national benchmark of N70,000.

Osuma also acknowledged the government’s efforts in the area of workers’ promotions and bonuses, but insisted that pension reforms and extension of years of service remained critical to the long-term welfare and stability of civil servants in Rivers State.

By: King Onunwor

Business

FG Begins South-West Tour To Promote New Cooperative Bank

Published

7 days ago

May 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has launched the South-West zonal engagement and ministerial advocacy tour on the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria share capital mobilisation, sensitisation and cooperative sector digitalisation.

Reports say the initiative was launched through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

According to reports, the advocacy tour, organised by the ministry’s Federal Department of Cooperatives, began on Monday in Lagos.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security and Supervising Minister of Cooperative Affairs, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said the initiative was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Abdullahi described the exercise as a strategic effort to reposition the cooperative sector as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity.

“Today represents a defining moment in our collective determination to reposition the cooperative sector as a major driver of inclusive economic growth, financial inclusion, enterprise development, food security and national prosperity,” he said.

The minister noted the modern cooperative movement in Nigeria originated in the South-West following the 1934 Strickland Report, which led to the enactment of the Cooperative Societies Ordinance of 1935.

According to him, the decision to commence the sensitisation and share capital mobilisation tour in the region is symbolic, as it marks a return to the roots of cooperative development in the country.

Abdullahi said the advocacy tour was a direct outcome of resolutions reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Cooperative Affairs held in Abuja in March 2026.

He said the council approved the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme, a comprehensive framework designed to strengthen the cooperative sector and align it with the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.

“The reform programme focuses on seven strategic pillars, including governance reforms, cooperative financing and the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria, digitalisation, capacity building, value chain development, inclusion of youths, women and persons with disabilities, and strategic partnerships,” he said.

He said the establishment of the Cooperative Bank of Nigeria and the digitalisation of the cooperative sector were the two major transformational initiatives under the programme.

“The Cooperative Bank of Nigeria is aimed at rebuilding a strong cooperative financial system capable of supporting cooperators, farmers, artisans, traders, SMEs, youths, women and persons with disabilities with accessible and affordable financial services,” he said.

Abdullahi emphasised that the proposed bank would be government-enabled but not government-funded.

“Government is not establishing the bank as an owner, nor will it rely on Treasury Single Account funds.

“The role of government through the FMAFS is to provide policy support, stakeholder coordination, regulatory facilitation and an enabling environment under the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme,” he said.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to cooperative sector transformation.

She described cooperatives as critical tools for promoting inclusive growth, grassroots productivity, food security, financial inclusion and community wealth creation.

Ambrose-Medebem said Lagos State would continue to support reforms and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the Renewed Hope Cooperative Reform and Revamp Programme (2025–2030).

“Together, let us build a cooperative ecosystem that is modern, transparent, digitally enabled, financially inclusive and globally competitive.

“Let us build cooperatives that not only mobilise savings, but also mobilise prosperity,” she said.