The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has announced a major Human Capital Development (HCD) initiative to train over 10,000 young Nigerians in the country’s most sought-after oil and gas skills.
The program, tagged the NCDMB Oil and Gas Field Readiness Training Program, aims to equip graduates and technicians with industry-relevant expertise that will make them employable in ongoing and upcoming oil and gas projects across Nigeria.
In a statement released on Monday, NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, explained that the program was designed to close critical skill gaps identified during reviews of expatriate quota applications by industry operators. The Board, he said, worked closely with key industry groups such as the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), and Petroleum Contractors Trade Section (PCTS) to determine the most needed skill areas.
According to Ogbe, the top ten high-demand skills include Sub-sea Engineering, Underwater Welding, Control and Automation Engineering, Helicopter Piloting, Marine Operations, Production and Maintenance Engineering, Quality Assurance/Quality Control, Geoscience Engineering, and emerging digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Cloud Computing, and Drone Technology.
He noted that the initiative aligns with Section 10(1b) of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act, 2010, which mandates that Nigerians be given first consideration for training and employment opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
The program is open to applicants under the age of 35 who hold OND, HND, or B.Sc. degrees in relevant disciplines such as Petroleum, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Civil, Gas, Welding, Metallurgy, Geology, Geophysics, or Computer Science.
Explaining the structure of the training, NCDMB’s Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Bamidele Abayomi, stated that the program would run for two to three years, with periodic reviews to ensure that training areas remain relevant. Participants will undergo classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory and workshop sessions, industry-recognized certification, and a minimum of six months of on-the-job training with partner service companies.
Abayomi revealed that each skill area will have at least three partnering service companies to facilitate practical exposure and ensure participants acquire real-world experience. He also confirmed that trainees will receive monthly stipends, insurance coverage, safety equipment, and pre-mobilization medical checks.
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The program comes amid renewed optimism in the oil and gas industry, following a string of major investments including the US$2 billion HI Field Gas Project by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and Sunlink Energies and Resources Limited, the US$550 million UBETA Gas Project by TotalEnergies, and the US$5 billion Bonga North Deepwater Project.
Ogbe emphasized that these new investments are part of the outcomes of the three Presidential Directives issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in March 2024, aimed at accelerating growth in the oil and gas sector. He noted that the directives, supported by NCDMB’s revised Nigerian Content Contracting Guidelines, are unlocking delayed projects and contributing to the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda for a US$1 trillion economy.
Through this initiative, NCDMB hopes to strengthen Nigeria’s local content capacity, reduce reliance on foreign expertise, and empower a new generation of skilled professionals ready to drive the nation’s energy future.
