60 Nigerians are beginning a year-long journey to acquire technical skills that could open doors to careers in oil and gas engineering, machining, equipment maintenance and other areas of industrial production, under a training initiative by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited.

The programme, launched at Nigeria Machine Tools Limited in Osogbo, Osun State, is designed to prepare participants for practical roles across the oil and gas value chain. It combines classroom instruction with supervised workplace experience, giving trainees the opportunity to develop skills that go beyond academic qualifications.

The initiative falls under the Nigerian Content Human Capacity Development (NC HCD) Training Programme for Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited’s EPU Phase 2 Gas Development Project. Seflam SGL and Nigeria Machine Tools Limited are also partners in the programme.

The 60 participants comprise 33 graduates and 27 vocational trainees. Over 12 months, they will receive training in engineering design, fitter machining, conventional machine tool operations, programming, computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), electrical and mechanical maintenance, and document control.

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The programme is divided into six months of classroom-based instruction and six months of supervised on-the-job training with reputable companies. Participants are expected to earn internationally recognised certifications upon completion.

Speaking at the launch, NCDMB’s Director of Capacity Building, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele, represented by the Board’s Assistant Manager, Human Capacity Development, Mr Tare Bufazi, said the initiative was intended to address technical manpower shortages and strengthen Nigerian participation in the oil and gas industry.

He said local content development requires more than increasing the number of Nigerians involved in industry projects. It also depends on building the technical competence needed to perform specialised tasks and sustain operations.

Bamidele urged the trainees to take the opportunity seriously, stressing that the value of the programme would lie not only in the certifications they receive but also in the practical abilities and professional experience they develop. He acknowledged Renaissance Africa Energy, Seflam SGL and Nigeria Machine Tools for their contributions to the initiative.

Representing Renaissance Africa Energy, Mr Richard Oyiborhor, Interface and Integration Manager for the NLNG Supply Project, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to developing Nigerian talent and strengthening local technical capacity. He described the collaboration with NCDMB, Seflam SGL and Nigeria Machine Tools as an important contribution to building the country’s industrial workforce.

Mrs Bisola Agboluaje, Senior Manager, Business Interface at Seflam SGL, congratulated the trainees and said the programme’s origins date to 2024, when NCDMB approved the training plans. She described the initiative as an investment in the pool of skilled Nigerian professionals available to industry.

Nigeria Machine Tools Chief Operating Officer, Ms Obehi Ojeagha, welcomed the participants and highlighted the institution’s 46-year history of supporting industrial development in Nigeria. She expressed confidence that the training would equip participants with the technical skills, discipline and workplace experience needed to contribute to the oil and gas sector.

For the trainees, the year ahead offers a route to acquiring specialised skills and industry experience. For the wider sector, the programme reflects an ongoing challenge for local content development: ensuring that Nigerian participation is supported by the technical expertise required to carry out increasingly specialised industrial work.

Meiza Nigeria