The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has announced plans to train over 10,000 young Nigerians in key technical and professional skills as part of a major human capital development drive for the oil and gas industry.
The initiative, known as the Oil and Gas Field Readiness Training Programme, aims to equip graduates and technicians with practical skills needed to participate in the wave of new projects recently announced by international and local oil companies.
Speaking on Friday, NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the training will focus on the top 10 high-demand skills identified from industry data, expatriate quota reviews, and consultations with leading industry groups such as the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) and Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS).
He said the Board’s effort was in line 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 in the sector.
Among the target areas are subsea engineering, underwater welding, control and automation, helicopter piloting, marine operations, production and maintenance, QA/QC engineering, geoscience, and digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and drone applications.
According to Ogbe, the programme is designed for Nigerians under 35 years old with OND, HND, or BSc qualifications in engineering, geology, computer science, and other related disciplines.
Interested applicants are required to register and update their profiles on the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Joint Qualification System (NOGICJQS) portal at nogicjqs.gov.ng before applying for up to three preferred skill areas.
NCDMB’s Director of Capacity Building, Engr Bamidele Abayomi, said the programme would run for between 12 and 24 months, combining classroom instruction, laboratory practicals, and six months of on-the-job training with partner service companies.
Abayomi explained that participants would receive medical screening, personal protective equipment, stipends, and insurance cover.
Furthermore, graduates who complete the programme successfully will be added to NCDMB’s skills database for deployment to projects in line with the NOGICD Act.
The training initiative comes amid renewed investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, marked by several recent Final Investment Decisions (FIDs), including the $2 billion HI Field Gas Project by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and Sunlink Energies and Resources Limited, and TotalEnergies' $550 million Ubeta Gas Project.
These projects, alongside the $5 billion Bonga North Deepwater development, are among the outcomes of the Presidential Directives issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in March 2024 to accelerate investment and local participation in the sector, NCDMB added.
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