{"id":724,"date":"2026-07-11T09:07:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T08:07:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=724"},"modified":"2026-07-11T09:07:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T08:07:33","slug":"ncdmb-seplat-advance-plans-for-gas-development-centre-at-delsu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=724","title":{"rendered":"NCDMB, Seplat Advance Plans for Gas Development Centre at DELSU"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Ukiri<\/strong> Emraghogho<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, is set to host a Centre of Excellence in Gas Development as the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Seplat Energy Plc have concluded key implementation plans for the take-off of the research facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project, approved for the university in 2024, was the focus of a high-level meeting held on Monday, April 13, 2026, between officials of the NCDMB, Seplat Energy and the university’s management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Centre of Excellence is part of the NCDMB’s initiative to strengthen research and development (R&D), innovation and local content in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. It is based on a 10-year R&D roadmap developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and joins similar centres established in selected Nigerian universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the meeting, the Director of Corporate Services, NCDMB, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, who represented the Board’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the Board and Seplat Energy had worked together since 2024 to develop a comprehensive implementation framework for the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, the approved scope covers infrastructure, modern research equipment, capacity development, research policy and sustainability, all aimed at establishing a world-class research centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Halilu disclosed that both organisations had endorsed the implementation plan and assembled a team of technical experts to supervise execution. He added that the Board’s standing committee on the project had been strengthened with additional senior officials to ensure effective delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Executive Secretary to the project, noting that specialists in quality assurance, research and development, and other operational units had been deployed to ensure the successful implementation of the facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also speaking, Seplat Energy’s Nigerian Content Manager, Mr. Simeon Ogari, said DELSU was selected because of its proximity to the company’s major operations, including the ANOH Gas Processing Plant, a joint venture between Seplat Energy and the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ogari said the Centre of Excellence would serve as a hub for advanced research, technological innovation and capacity development, benefiting the university, the oil and gas industry and the Nigerian economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stressed that collaboration among government, universities and the private sector would be essential to the centre’s success, describing the arrangement as the globally recognised Triple Helix Model for driving research and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Explaining the background to the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer of GOSHEN, the consulting firm managing the project, Mr. Leonard Okafor, said the PwC study revealed gaps in Nigeria’s research and industrial linkages, making stronger local participation in the oil and gas sector necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that the report identified five priority areas for strengthening research and development in the industry: collaboration, infrastructure, capability development, commercial and legal framework, and funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okafor added that the success of the project would depend on strong collaboration with experienced researchers and institutions capable of producing high-quality scientific research. He also outlined the responsibilities of DELSU, including providing research and administrative personnel as well as institutional policies required for the smooth operation of the centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Responding, the Vice-Chancellor of DELSU, Professor Samuel Oghenovo Asagba, thanked the NCDMB and Seplat Energy for choosing the university to host the world-class research facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He assured the partners that the university would meet all requirements for the successful establishment and sustainability of the centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Professor Asagba noted that DELSU, ranked by Times Higher Education in 2026 as Nigeria’s best state-owned university, possesses experienced researchers, particularly in science and engineering, who are well positioned to contribute to the project’s objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our academics are renowned for their research output, and we have outstanding scholars in science and engineering who will support the success of this initiative,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The General Manager, Quality Assurance, NCDMB, Mr. Chris Osuji, said his department would monitor every stage of the project to ensure that the facility meets the highest quality standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his vote of thanks, the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, NCDMB, Mr. Silas Ajimijaye, commended Seplat Energy for funding the project and urged DELSU to maximise the opportunity to become a leading centre for gas research and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Douglason Omotor, expressed appreciation to the NCDMB and Seplat Energy for the initiative, assuring them that the university would provide experienced academics and skilled administrators to support the successful implementation of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Centre of Excellence in Gas Development is expected to strengthen scientific research, promote technological innovation, advance local content development and produce the skilled manpower needed to support Nigeria’s growing gas industry. The initiative also reinforces collaboration among government, academia and industry in advancing research-driven national development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ukiri Emraghogho Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, is set to host a Centre of Excellence in Gas Development as the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Seplat Energy Plc have concluded key implementation plans for the take-off of the research facility. The project, approved for the university in 2024, was the focus […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":2,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,14],"tags":[25,26,179,180],"class_list":["post-724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-trendingnews","tag-delsu","tag-education","tag-ncdmb","tag-seplat"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=724"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":725,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/724\/revisions\/725"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}