NCDMB, Chevron launch pilot training to boost oil sector workforce
Ten Nigerians selected for aviation training aimed at addressing skills gaps in offshore operations
As new investments and major projects reshape Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, efforts are underway to prepare a workforce capable of meeting the sector’s growing demand for specialised skills.
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Chevron Nigeria Limited and Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Limited, has launched a pilot training programme designed to develop Nigerian professionals for one of the industry’s most specialised roles: helicopter operations.
The initiative will provide 10 Nigerians with professional aviation training over an 18-month period, equipping them with the qualifications required to support offshore oil and gas activities, where helicopters play a critical role in transporting personnel and equipment to remote locations.
The programme forms part of NCDMB’s broader Field Readiness Training initiative, a human capital development scheme created to address skills shortages as new oil and gas investments gather pace across the country.
According to the Board, the larger programme aims to train more than 10,000 young graduates and technicians in high-demand technical fields required by the energy industry.
Speaking at the programme’s unveiling in Lagos, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the Director of Capacity Building, Abayomi Bamidele, said the training goes beyond acquiring aviation qualifications.
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He described it as a strategic investment in Nigerian talent and part of efforts to deepen local participation in industries that have traditionally relied heavily on foreign expertise.
The selected trainees will undergo classroom instruction, ground operations training and practical flight experience leading to the acquisition of Private Pilot Licences and Commercial Pilot Licences.
Beyond aviation certifications, participants are also expected to receive advanced training that will prepare them for the complex operational demands of the offshore energy sector.
Industry stakeholders say the programme addresses a long-standing challenge in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, where specialised aviation skills remain in short supply despite growing demand.
Representing Chevron Nigeria Limited, the company’s General Manager for Nigerian Content Development, Ikhuoria Aimienwanu, described the initiative as a landmark intervention designed to strengthen indigenous capacity in a highly technical area of the industry.
According to him, the programme was conceived to help bridge the gap in the availability of Nigerian pilots while creating opportunities for local professionals to compete in both domestic and international aviation markets.
The Managing Director of Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Limited, Capt. Oladapo Oyeleke noted that helicopter operations supporting the energy industry require extensive training, technical expertise and strict safety standards.
He said the programme builds on decades of aviation training experience and represents an opportunity to develop a new generation of professionals capable of supporting critical industry operations.
The beneficiaries will undertake their ab-initio flight training at Henley Air in South Africa, where they will work towards qualifications including Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, Night Rating and Instrument Rating certifications before progressing to aircraft type-rating programmes.
For one of the beneficiaries, Itorobong Inyang, the programme also represents an opportunity to break barriers in a profession often perceived as male-dominated.
She said her selection demonstrates that opportunities within specialised sectors of the economy are increasingly becoming accessible through merit-based processes and encouraged more young women to pursue careers in aviation and other technical fields.
The launch comes as Nigeria continues to place greater emphasis on local content development and workforce readiness, with policymakers seeking to ensure that Nigerians are equipped to benefit from emerging opportunities across the energy value chain.
With billions of dollars in oil and gas investments expected to generate demand for technical expertise in the coming years, industry leaders say initiatives that build specialised skills will be essential to reducing dependence on foreign manpower and strengthening the country’s industrial capacity.
