Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening local participation and technical competence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, as it concluded a one-week intensive Non-Destructive Testing, NDT, Levels 1 and 2 training in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The programme was designed to equip Nigerian youths with globally competitive inspection and testing skills critical to pipeline integrity, asset maintenance, and industrial safety within the oil and gas sector.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by Dr. Abraham Apereseikumo, Supervisor of Strategy and Transformational Projects, said the initiative underscores the Board’s unwavering drive for human capacity development and youth empowerment through sustainable technical skill acquisition.
“This Non-Destructive Testing programme is a clear demonstration of the Board’s continued commitment to building local capacity and closing the technical skills gap in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector,” Dr. Apereseikumo stated.
“We are not only training individuals; we are creating a workforce that will drive the nation’s industrialisation and sustain our energy future.”
He noted that the training, which drew 50 participants from across the country via the Board’s Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System, NOGIC JQS, portal, aligns with NCDMB’s mandate to ensure that Nigerians derive maximum benefits from the nation’s oil and gas resources.
According to him, the skills acquired in Non-Destructive Testing are essential for ensuring the reliability of pipelines, refineries, and other critical energy infrastructure — areas where Nigeria has historically relied heavily on expatriate expertise.
“The goal is to empower you with the knowledge and competence to deliver services that meet international standards,” he added. “With your NDT certifications and starter packs, you now have the tools to establish yourselves as professionals and entrepreneurs within the oil and gas value chain.”
Dr. Apereseikumo charged the trainees to act as ambassadors of Nigerian content development, urging them to apply their skills responsibly and ethically to strengthen the nation’s industrial base.
He congratulated the participants on completing the rigorous training and encouraged them to leverage the opportunity for career advancement, job creation, and local industry growth.
The participants expressed appreciation to NCDMB for the training opportunity, describing it as a life-changing experience that bridges the gap between classroom learning and field application in Nigeria’s energy sector.
The NDT training forms part of NCDMB’s broader strategy under the Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, which aims to achieve 70% in-country value retention by 2027 through focused investments in human capital, research and development, and local manufacturing capacity.
