Anambra Pushes For Inclusion In National Gas Master Plan As Media Stakeholders Chart New Path In Implementation Of Local Content Act

By David Okpokwasili | Ichie Times

Months after Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, pledged to address the omission of Anambra State from Nigeria’s National Gas Master Plan, the Anambra State Government has, once again, pushed for the review of the master plan and the inclusion of the state in the country’s major gas infrastructure.

President Tinubu, had on May 8, 2025 during his one day working visit to the state, promised to address the omission which he described as a significant oversight.

Anambra State is reckoned to sit on one of Nigeria’s largest natural gas reserves estimated at over 30 trillion cubic feet which makes the omission a significant policy summersault.

Pushing for an immediate review of the master plan, Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor, while speaking at a Nigerian Content capacity building workshop for media stakeholders in Anambra State organized by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB in Awka, wondered why the state will sit on such a national wealth and is still excluded from the table.

Dr Mefor, therefore, asked the Federal Government to immediately review the masterplan to reclaim Anambra’s position within Nigeria’s gas development framework, stressing that access to the nation’s gas infrastructure was essential to achieving the state’s economic ambitions.

The Information and Value Reformation Commissioner explained that with signing into law of the legislation that moved electricity generation, transmission and distribution from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, Anambra’s has been empowered to generate and distribute its own electricity but still caged by its inability to develop its gas to power potential, noting that gas and other enabling infrastructure are needed to maximise the opportunity.

According to him, the state could generate sufficient electricity to meet local demand, sell excess power to neighbouring states and generate revenue while providing reliable electricity for industries, particularly food-processing businesses.

Responding, the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCMB, Engr Felix Ogbe represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Mr Omomehin Ajimijaye underscored the importance of including an Anambra the country national gas masterplan and charged the Anambra State Government to intensify engagement with relevant Federal Government agencies and functionaries to facilitate a quick review of the plan.

He pledged his readiness to support the state government’s efforts to ensure wide stakeholder buy-in in and put Anambra on its desired place on the gas infrastructure map.

Speaking on the essence of the workshop, Engr Ogbe emphasized the importance of the media and journalists in the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act popularly referred to as the “Local Content Act” which specifically targets the oil and gas industry, requiring companies to give first consideration to Nigerian independent operators, locally manufactured goods, and indigenous labor.

He said the workshop is designed to bridge the gap between the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board – which is the Federal Government agency primarily charged with the implementation of the Local Content Act and the media in the realization of the goal to increase local participation, retention of wealth, and human capacity development in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

The NCDMB boss called on industry professionals, service companies, and youths to register their businesses and qualifications on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGICJQS) portal, explaining that the platform the portal acts as the primary recruitment and selection database for job opportunities and contract awards within the oil and gas sector.

Contributing, the General Manager of Corporate Communications of the Board, Dr Obinna Ezeobi explained that Anambra State being a major player in the oil and gas sector given its status as an oil producing state and being home to major players and investors in the oil and gas sector can no longer play the second fiddle on the table on issues of local content.

Dr Ezeobi explained that a strong relationship between and the board will ensure effective implementation of the Nigeria Local Content Act and the Petroleum Industry Act in oil producing communities and that host communities understand their rights and responsibilities under the acts.

He highlighted areas of collaboration between the board and the media, gray areas in the implementation of the law that need incisive explanatory and investigative reportage and stated that the continued success of the Nigeria Local Content Law will leverage on the strong participation and interest of the media.

The workshop featured detailed discussions on Nigerian content as catalyst for sustainable community development and how media practitioners can reinvent themselves in the reportage of issues around compliance with Nigerian local content act.