By Kingsley Bensons
Nigeria’s drive to expand local content and strengthen indigenous participation in the energy and industrial sectors took centre stage at the 2025 edition of the Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Forum, where the Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) highlighted its commitment to financing homegrown enterprise and enabling sustainable growth.
The four–day forum, held from December 1 to 4 at the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, brought together policymakers, investors, regulators, and industry leaders to reflect on the gains of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, which turns 15 this year. It was convened by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in partnership with the Bayelsa State Government, creating a platform that drew more than 50 experts to explore the next phase of local content expansion.
For NEXIM Bank, the gathering offered more than a ceremonial presence. The bank used the forum to restate its mandate of promoting export growth, strengthening indigenous enterprises, and supporting Nigeria’s long-term industrialisation strategy. Its delegation, led by Executive Director of Business Development, Hon. Stella Okotete, and the Head of Specialised Business at NEXIM, Mohammed Awami, participated in several sessions focused on energy sector financing, domestic capacity building, and the investment climate for Nigerian companies.
Photographs released by the bank show its representatives engaging with stakeholders across panel sessions, networking meetings, and technical discussions. The visuals, featuring Okotete in traditional attire, underscored NEXIM’s approach to partnerships that blend cultural identity with economic ambition. Officials noted that such forums are essential to shaping collaborative strategies capable of driving homegrown investment in sectors long dominated by foreign supply chains.
A milestone moment for Nigerian content
This year’s forum carried added significance as stakeholders assessed the progress made since the enactment of the NOGICD Act in 2010. The law established a framework that requires oil and gas operations in Nigeria to utilise locally sourced goods, skills, and services. Over the years, it has encouraged the rise of local fabrication yards, indigenous oil servicing companies, modular refineries, and higher Nigerian equity participation in upstream projects.
With the theme “Securing Investments, Strengthening Local Content, and Scaling Operations for Sustainable Growth,” PNC 2025 focused on how the energy industry can attract new capital, deepen local content benchmarks, and expand indigenous control of critical value chains amid global shifts in energy demand.
Participants examined the policy, regulatory, and financial tools needed to sustain the progress made under the Act. Attention centred on improving access to funding for local firms, supporting technology transfer, building skilled manpower, and creating incentives for export–oriented industrial activities.
As Nigeria’s official export-import development bank, NEXIM outlined how its financing instruments are positioned to support the emergence of competitive local enterprises in oil and gas, petrochemicals, manufacturing, and other industrial sectors. The bank emphasised that local content is not solely an oil and gas requirement but a broader economic strategy for job creation, value addition, and foreign exchange generation.
NEXIM executives at the forum stressed the bank’s readiness to collaborate with technical partners, private investors, and government agencies to scale indigenous production capacity and expand export pipelines for Nigerian companies. They described PNC 2025 as a valuable arena for strengthening relationships that advance national goals around energy self-reliance and sustainable economic expansion.
“Our participation reflects our dedication to unlocking new opportunities for inclusive growth and building a stronger local content ecosystem across key industries,” the bank said in its event communications.
Beyond reviewing the impact of the NOGICD Act, the forum also examined emerging opportunities driven by digital technology, cleaner energy, modular refining, and industrial manufacturing. Stakeholders discussed how Nigeria can leverage existing gains to build a more resilient and export-oriented industrial base.
For NEXIM, the conversations reinforced the importance of finance as a tool for accelerating local value creation. The bank’s presence signalled its intention to remain a key supporter of indigenous enterprises looking to scale operations, diversify market reach, and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness within the regional and global economy.
PNC 2025 closed with renewed commitments from public and private sector participants to drive deeper collaboration, expand capacity building initiatives, and create more favourable conditions for Nigerian companies to thrive.
