Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, has unveiled a Human Capital Development, HCD, initiative that will train over 10,000 young Nigerians in the top 10 high-demand skills in the oil and gas industry — a move aimed at closing technical gaps and preparing local talent for the wave of new multi-billion-dollar energy projects now emerging across the country.
The program, tagged NCDMB Oil and Gas Field Readiness Training, is designed to equip young graduates and technicians with practical, hands-on expertise to participate actively in upcoming oil and gas projects announced by leading operators such as Shell, TotalEnergies, and Sunlink Energies.
Speaking while unveiling the programme, Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the initiative directly responds to the Board’s review of expatriate quota applications from international operators and findings from stakeholder engagements with PETAN, OPTS, and PCTS.
“We discovered critical skill gaps in several key areas of our industry,” Ogbe explained. “This program is designed to close those gaps and ensure that Nigerians are fully prepared to take on technical roles in the oil and gas projects being rolled out under President Bola Tinubu’s renewed drive for energy sector growth.”
Ogbe emphasized that the Board’s move is guided by Section 10(1b) of the NOGICD Act (2010), which mandates that Nigerians be given first consideration for training and employment opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
“Our mandate is clear — Nigerians must not be left behind. Every major investment must translate to jobs and skill development for our people,” he stated.
The top 10 skills identified for the program include subsea engineering, underwater welding, control and automation, helicopter piloting, marine operations, production and maintenance, QA/QC, geoscience, and digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics.
According to the Executive Secretary, the program will also prepare participants for field deployment on new large-scale investments such as Shell’s $2 billion HI Field Gas Project, TotalEnergies’ $550 million Ubeta Gas Project, and SNEPCo’s $5 billion Bonga North Deepwater Project.
“We are building the next generation of oil and gas professionals who will sustain Nigeria’s energy future,” Ogbe declared. “These projects are not just about infrastructure; they are about people — our engineers, technicians, and innovators.”
Providing further details, NCDMB’s Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Bamidele Abayomi, said the training would run over a two-to-three-year cycle, with participants undergoing classroom instruction, laboratory and workshop sessions, industry-recognized certifications, and a minimum of six months on-the-job training with partner service companies.
“This is not a short-term program. It’s an intensive capacity-building effort that will make our graduates field-ready,” Abayomi said. “We are partnering at least three service companies in each skill area to guarantee quality delivery and job placement opportunities.”
He added that trainees will receive monthly stipends, safety gear, medicals, and insurance coverage throughout the program to ensure their welfare and focus on learning.
“We want participants to focus entirely on acquiring skills — without worrying about financial or health constraints,” Abayomi stressed.
The NCDMB also announced that eligible applicants — aged below 35 years and holding OND, HND, or BSc in engineering, geology, geophysics, or related sciences — can apply through the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Joint Qualification System, NOGIC JQS, portal.
The new training initiative, according to the Board, complements the three Presidential Directives issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in March 2024 to accelerate Nigerian content development and unlock stalled investments in the oil and gas sector.
“The results are already evident — billions of dollars in new investments and tens of thousands of job opportunities,” Ogbe remarked. “This training ensures that Nigerians are not spectators but active contributors in this new phase of industrial resurgence.”
The NCDMB said successful graduates of the program will be included in its national Skills Database, accessible to operating and service companies, thereby guaranteeing their visibility for employment in the country’s expanding oil and gas industry.
“This is the bridge between opportunity and capacity. We are ensuring that as Nigeria’s oil and gas industry rises again, its workforce rises with it.”
