‘Oil Operators Rise to 117 Under Reforms’
Nigeria’s oil operating firms have grown from fewer than 10 before 2010 to about 117 today, following the implementation of local content policies that raised performance from under 5% in 2010 to 61% in 2025.
At the 2026 Nigerian Oil and Gas Midstream and Downstream Summit in Lagos, regulators and industry stakeholders highlighted the expansion, projecting increased investments in gas processing, refining, petrochemicals, infrastructure, and local manufacturing.
Patrick June, Acting Manager at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), said “Operating companies are about 117, with a job creation of 11,934. That is a significant improvement.”
He noted the NCDMB database now includes 11,764 service companies, 50 fabrication yards, 20 engineering design firms, and 122 manufacturing companies.
Executive Secretary Felix Ogbe, represented by Austin Azuka, said reforms and policy clarity were transforming Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain.
He stressed that the next frontier for growth lies in the midstream and downstream sectors, beyond crude exports.
Ogbe pointed to opportunities in gas gathering, processing, compression, transportation, storage, pipelines, cooking gas, compressed natural gas, refining, petrochemicals, logistics, and retail operations, noting Nigeria is shifting from crude production to processing and exporting finished products.
He praised the Dangote Refinery as a symbol of Nigeria’s industrial ambition, describing it as one of the largest single-train refineries in the world.
Senator Kawu Sumaila, Chair of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream and Downstream), said: “Strengthening Nigerian content in these sectors is not merely a regulatory obligation. It is a national development priority.”
He emphasised that the Petroleum Industry Act must translate into real capacity, not just paper participation.
Rabiu Umar, Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, added that the sector has seen “massive investment” in recent years, particularly in gas processing and infrastructure, underscoring Nigeria’s growing role in energy diversification.