The Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) has called on African governments to deepen collaboration with the private sector to strengthen the continent’s oil and gas value chain.
PETAN Chairman, Mr. Wole Ogunsanya, made the call at the 4th Conference and Exhibition on Local Content in the African Oil and Gas Industry (CECLA), organised by the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO) in Kintélé, Brazzaville, Congo. His remarks were contained in a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos.
Ogunsanya, represented by the association’s Secretary, Mr. Kevin Nwanze, said Nigeria’s local content model had proven to be a pathway to sustainable industry growth.
He noted that the achievements recorded under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act—implemented by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)—had raised in-country value retention from 5 per cent in 2010 to 56 per cent in 2024. He added that the model was worth replicating across Africa.
“Collaboration is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ but a ‘must-have’ for sustainable local content in Africa’s oil and gas industry,” he said.
He stressed that the increasing complexity of oil and gas projects demands stronger cooperation among operators, international oil companies and local suppliers.
Ogunsanya, however, warned that weak policies, limited financing, trust deficits and capacity gaps remain major obstacles to effective collaboration on the continent.
He called for clearer regulatory frameworks, transparent procurement systems, open publication of contract awards and stronger oversight mechanisms, describing them as “non-negotiable” for trust-driven partnerships.
Citing Nigeria’s progress, he highlighted successful collaboration models enabled by the NOGICD Act, including the Egina FPSO topsides engineering consortium, the EnServ–Schlumberger alliance, and the Kwale Gas Gathering (KGG) Hub.
He added that Africa must now prioritise long-term supplier capability and investment in emerging technologies such as renewable energy integration, carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), and oil and gas decommissioning.
“What has worked in Nigeria can work elsewhere. The NOGICD model is ripe for adaptation by other African jurisdictions seeking real local content growth,” he said.
Ogunsanya added that strong regulation and empowered local content institutions remain critical to sustaining the continent’s progress.
