Petroleum Sector Supply Chain Management and Local Content Compliance: A Professional Study of Procurement Practices in the South East Zone

This study examines procurement and supply chain management practices in Nigeria's petroleum sector with a focus on local content compliance in the South East geopolitical zone, covering Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo States. The Nigerian Content Act 2010 mandates the use of local suppliers, contractors, and services wherever Nigerian capacity exists, but documentation of compliance patterns in the South East is sparse. Using a professional supply chain management research design, the research administers structured questionnaires to thirty procurement managers employed by petroleum operators and service companies with South East operations. NCDMB procurement plan approvals and compliance audit records from 2021 to 2024 are reviewed. Findings reveal widespread use of nominee supplier arrangements that create the appearance of local content compliance without genuine capacity transfer. The study recommends enhanced NCDMB scrutiny of supply chain ownership structures and the development of a South East petroleum supplier database with transparent qualification standards. Keywords: supply chain management, local content, South East Nigeria, NCDMB, procurement compliance.