NCDMB, UN Women Explore Joint Measures to Expand Women’s Role in Oil and Gas
By Azeez Ajibola Afolabi
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in collaboration with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), is advancing joint initiatives to boost women’s participation in the oil and gas industry. Central to the effort is expanding access to the dedicated $40 million Women in Oil and Gas Fund, to ensure that more women-owned businesses and professionals benefit from industry opportunities and play a stronger role across the value chain.
In April 2021, the NCDMB established a $20 million fund to support women-owned and women-led businesses in the oil and gas sector. The Nigerian Export-Import Bank (NEXIM) complemented the effort with an additional $20 million. Despite this significant commitment and favourable loan terms, uptake of the scheme has remained below expectations.
On Thursday, UN Women’s Country Representative to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ms. Beatrice Eyong, led a delegation to the NCDMB’s Abuja liaison office. The team was received by the Board’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, on behalf of the Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe.
The meeting explored proposed capacity-building initiatives for NCDMB personnel aimed at mainstreaming gender perspectives into the Board’s project planning, budgeting, and execution. Other key areas discussed included vendor development schemes to better position women-led oil and gas businesses for industry opportunities, strategies to raise awareness of available financing options, and potential affirmative procurement measures to expand participation of women-owned companies across the value chain.
The UN official commended the NCDMB for its ongoing gender inclusion efforts, noting that the Board is already implementing several measures consistent with its mandate. She proposed a study to identify why women face challenges accessing the financing facility, including potential barriers related to documentation, business registration, tax compliance, and limited awareness. She also highlighted key initiatives currently undertaken by UN Women, including programmes on women’s economic empowerment, leadership development, and the elimination of gender-based violence.
Dr. Ezeobi welcomed the proposals and affirmed the Board’s readiness to partner with UN Women. He highlighted several innovative initiatives already implemented by the Board to create opportunities for women to participate, grow, and lead in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. These include the funding scheme established with NEXIM Bank, which enables women-owned or women-led firms to access financing at a highly competitive 5% interest rate, and the creation of a Diversity Sectoral Working Group within the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum (NCCF) to mainstream women’s issues into local content policy and decision-making.
He added that the Board also supports associations of women working across the energy industry value chain, where they network, build confidence, and create linkages to advance their careers and businesses.
Dr. Ezeobi noted that the NCDMB has invested significantly in capacity-building programmes for women entrepreneurs and business leaders, covering critical areas such as business sustainability, corporate governance, and strategic management. The Board has also supported women’s participation in technical occupations while encouraging young girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
He acknowledged that women remain underrepresented in the oil and gas industry due to limited access to technical education, finance, and commercial opportunities, as well as entrenched perceptions of the sector as predominantly male. He reaffirmed the NCDMB’s commitment to collaborate with UN Women to address these challenges and accelerate support for gender inclusion across the industry.
