Stakeholders in Nigeria's oil and gas industry are set to converge at the Practical Nigerian Content (PNC) Forum 2026 to discuss new frameworks for local content implementation beyond 2027. The forum aims to address funding, project opportunities, industrial capacity, and regulatory reforms. This development comes as local content performance has reached 61 percent under the Nigerian Content Strategic Roadmap 2017-2027, with the country targeting 70 percent.
The forum coincides with renewed investment in the upstream sector, including Shell's $2 billion HI Field project and the $5 billion Bonga North project. Indigenous operators are increasingly taking over assets divested by international oil companies. The event will bring together government, regulators, international oil companies, indigenous operators, and service companies to determine priorities for Nigerian Content implementation over the next decade.
Wemimo Oyelana, Portfolio and Country Director, dmg Nigeria Events, emphasized that the industry must shift its focus from measuring past achievements to determining what is required to sustain and deepen gains. "Fifteen years of Nigerian Content implementation have demonstrated what sustained policy, regulatory commitment, and industry collaboration can achieve," Oyelana said. The conversation must now move beyond measuring progress to defining what the next decade requires.
The forum will focus on four major priorities: mobilizing capital, project opportunities, advancing Nigerian Content, and policy and legislation. Discussions on capital mobilization will examine how improved access to finance, stronger financial partnerships, and innovative funding structures can enable indigenous companies to scale operations and compete for larger contracts.
Stakeholders will also explore ways to improve visibility of procurement plans, strengthen supplier development, and deepen collaboration between operators and indigenous businesses to unlock opportunities across the energy value chain. The forum is expected to examine strategies for closing existing capacity gaps, improving competitiveness, and accelerating industrialization through local content.
On policy and legislation, participants will consider how Nigeria's regulatory framework can respond to changing market conditions, technological developments, and investor expectations while supporting investment, compliance, and sustainable growth. The forum will feature strategic leadership panels, executive debates, a town hall, breakout sessions, and a Local Content Impact Stage.
The sessions are expected to provide opportunities for government and industry leaders to discuss policy and investment priorities, address compliance challenges, and develop practical solutions. The Impact Stage will facilitate major announcements and agreements, further solidifying the forum's role in shaping the future of Nigeria's oil industry.
Key points
- The PNC Forum 2026 aims to address funding, project opportunities, industrial capacity, and regulatory reforms in Nigeria's oil and gas industry.
- Local content performance has reached 61 percent under the Nigerian Content Strategic Roadmap 2017-2027.
- The forum will focus on mobilizing capital, project opportunities, advancing Nigerian Content, and policy and legislation.
