Oil-Producing Anambra Demands Bigger Role In Nigeria’s Oil & Gas Development Plan
By AMAKA OHAFIAH
ANAMBRA State has called on the Federal Government to ensure that it receives greater benefits from Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The state says it has yet to gain full inclusion in the country’s oil and gas master plan despite its oil-producing status.
The Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, made the appeal in Awka on Thursday. He spoke while opening a one-day workshop on Nigerian Content capacity building for media stakeholders, organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Mefor described the state’s limited integration into the national oil and gas framework as unfortunate. Consequently, he urged the Federal Government to ensure that Anambra benefits fully from programmes and initiatives linked to the sector.
He also commended the NCDMB for bringing the workshop to the state. According to him, Nigeria has the human resources needed to manage its oil and gas industry effectively.
Meanwhile, the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Felix Ogbe, said the workshop formed part of the Federal Government’s drive to promote inclusion in the industry. Omomehin Ajimijaye, the board’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, represented him at the event.
Ogbe urged journalists to educate communities about opportunities available through the board’s programmes. In doing so, he said, the media could help more people understand how to participate in the oil and gas value chain.
Similarly, the NCDMB General Manager of Corporate Communications, Obinna Ezeobi, called for stronger media coverage of Nigerian content issues. He urged journalists to publicise opportunities for local professionals and businesses while holding industry operators accountable for complying with local content requirements.
Ezeobi stressed that accurate reporting could help businesses and residents in Anambra participate more actively in the sector. He also highlighted the media’s role in promoting implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
According to him, journalists should explain government interventions, report available opportunities and monitor operators’ compliance with relevant laws. He further encouraged them to use their agenda-setting role to draw attention to industry challenges and opportunities for Nigerian businesses.
The workshop, he added, was designed to deepen journalists’ understanding of the Nigerian content framework, improve the quality of their reporting and strengthen cooperation between the NCDMB and media organisations in Anambra.
Ezeobi described the state as an important location for the engagement because of its oil-producing status. He also said Anambra ranked as the South-east’s second-highest oil producer.
However, the call for greater benefits raises broader questions about how oil-producing communities and states access industry opportunities. While local content policies seek to expand Nigerian participation, their impact depends partly on implementation, access to information and the ability of local businesses to compete.
For Anambra, the key issue is whether stronger engagement with the NCDMB and improved public awareness will translate into more opportunities for local companies, workers and professionals. The workshop provided a platform to discuss participation, although the state’s demand for fuller integration will require concrete programmes and measurable outcomes.
