One of the founding staff of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Obinna Joseph Ezeobi, on Friday, successfully defended his thesis that earned him a Doctorate Degree in Communication Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
At the external examination conducted by renowned academics, Ezeobi, Deputy Manager at the NCDMB, successfully defended his dissertation titled “Nigerian Oil and Gas Content Communication Campaigns and Selected Oil Companies’ Awareness and Compliance.”
His study explored how the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act was introduced and communicated as a transformational policy of the Federal Government and its challenges and limitations as a developmental strategy.
The empirical research probed the persistence of Nigerian Content non-compliant practices by international and indigenous oil and gas companies despite the extensive communication campaigns carried out on the Nigerian Content Act.
Dr. Ezeobi expects that the findings of the PhD research would improve policy formulation in the wider Nigerian economy and guide Government agencies to come up with impactful communication campaigns that would foster compliance and improve engagement with key stakeholders in various sectors of the economy.
He is confident that outcomes of the study would enhance NCDMB’s communication programmes and implementation of the NOGICD Act, in addition to contributing to the body of knowledge on the influence of media and communications on the behaviour of individuals and companies, particularly their attitude towards regulations when business interests are involved.
Obinna Ezeobi (second right) with members of the academic panel after his Viva at the School of Post-Graduate Studies, University of Port Harcourt
In his master’s studies as well as the terminal degree, Dr. Ezeobi had focussed his research interests on the emerging field of Energy Communications, exploring how Communications and Media Activities impact and influence core operations of the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
The scholar holds degrees from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and the University of Port Harcourt and has worked at the NCDMB since 2010, after stints in the media and the advertising industry and says that his goal is to contribute significantly to the practice and study of Energy Communications, foster improved understanding and support of the sector by members of the public.