By Udeme Akpan, Energy Editor
The Deputy Managing Director of NLNG, Mr. Olakunle Osobu, has made a strong case for the domestication of technology in the oil and gas industry as the construction of Train 7 nears completion.
The Train 7 project aims to expand the company’s production capacity by 35% to 30 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) from 22 mtpa.
The project, which was sanctioned on December 27, 2019, with the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract awarded to the SCD JV Consortium, would position Nigeria as a top-tier supplier of LNG, leveraging its vast proven gas reserves of 202 trillion cubic feet.
Speaking at the 2025 NOG Energy Week’s Strategic Panel Session on “Technology as a Local Content Imperative: From Adoption to Domestication,” Osobu emphasised the importance of domesticating technology in the oil and gas industry.
He noted that Nigeria has successfully built Trains 1-6 with significant participation from Nigerian contractors and highlighted the need to localise technology.
Osobu stated that oil and gas technology is too important to be propagated in foreign languages when Nigerian languages remain untapped.
He cited examples of countries like Russia, China, and France that have successfully used their indigenous languages to develop their technologies.
He said: “We have been promoting local content, but it’s time to take it to the next level by domesticating technology. Technology is not a difficult thing to know; all you need is the ability to read and write.”
Osobu also emphasised the need to make progress using local languages to develop technologies for the oil and gas industry, adding that “gone are the days when your ability to speak English was seen as a form of brilliance.”

Similarly, Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, Director General/CEO of the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), emphasised the development and protection of technologies.
She said, “It is not sufficient to develop technologies. We have to make conscious efforts to innovate. I want to encourage the development of rights, patents, and others to protect technologies. We have the potential. We have recognised such potential at NOTAP and created a register to document our talents. The registration is seamless; every qualified and competent person can go online to register.”
On his part, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), also spoke on the importance of building local capacities across the oil and gas value chain.
He stated: “A nation that aspires to be energy-sufficient must build its energy from within; hence, we must deepen our local capacities across the oil and gas value chain, from exploration and production to processing, manufacturing, and services. By doing so, we will not only retain economic value within our borders but also mitigate supply disruptions, create jobs, and build technological resilience – further contributing to our energy sufficiency.”
Ogbe highlighted the Federal Government’s efforts to deepen Nigerian content, including the enactment of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010 and the issuance of Executive Orders to promote local content.
He also mentioned the “Nigeria First” policy, which prioritises the use of local goods and services unless there is a clear and justifiable reason to procure from foreign sources.