NCDMB to train 10,000 Nigerians in top oil and gas skills as industry investments rebound
With major FIDs returning, NCDMB moves to equip Nigerians with the technical skills required for upcoming oil and gas projects.
With new multi-billion-dollar projects returning to Nigeria’s oil and gas landscape, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has launched a major human capacity initiative that will train over 10,000 young Nigerians in ten high-demand technical skills.
The new initiative, called the Oil and Gas Field Readiness Training Programme, is part of NCDMB’s renewed drive to ensure Nigerians are ready to fill critical roles as international and indigenous operators expand operations under fresh Final Investment Decisions (FIDs).
Announcing the programme, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe explained that the training directly targets skills identified from the Board’s review of Expatriate Quota applications and consultations with key industry bodies such as the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), and Petroleum Contractors Trade Section (PCTS).
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The selection of focus areas also drew from NCDMB’s experience monitoring project portfolios and findings from previous studies by agencies such as the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
The ten skill areas identified for the training include sub-sea engineering (wellheads, flowlines, umbilicals, sub-sea trees, etc.), underwater welding, control and automation engineering (cementing, well controls, rig operations), helicopter piloting, seafaring and vessel mechanics/electrical systems, production and maintenance engineering (control room operations, maintenance crew), QA/QC engineering (including NDT Levels 1–3), geoscience engineering (seismic, geophysics, wellsite geology), and digital and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things, big data, cloud computing, and drones.
Ogbe emphasised that the programme is backed by 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 opportunities in oil and gas projects.
The programme is open to Nigerians under 35 years old who hold OND, HND, or B.Sc. degrees in Petroleum, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Civil, Gas, Welding, Metallurgy, Geology, Geophysics, Computer Science, Engineering, or other related sciences.
Eligible applicants can register through the NOGIC JQS portal (nogicjqs.gov.ng) by creating or updating their profiles and selecting up to three preferred skills.
According to Engr. Bamidele Abayomi, NCDMB’s Director of Capacity Building, the programme will run for two to three years and will be reassessed periodically to align with evolving industry needs. Training will combine classroom learning, laboratory practicals, and internationally recognised certifications, with at least six months of on-the-job experience conducted in partnership with leading service companies.
At least three service companies will partner with NCDMB in each skill area, alongside HSE and soft skills providers accredited by OGTAN. Successful trainees will be added to NCDMB’s skills database for deployment to operators and contractors in line with Nigerian Content requirements.
Participants will also receive medical screening, monthly stipends, personal protective equipment (PPE), and insurance coverage throughout the training period.
Ogbe said the initiative is a proactive response to the ongoing investment surge following the three Presidential Directives issued by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in March 2024 to fast-track approvals and unlock delayed oil projects.
Recent Final Investment Decisions include the US$2 billion HI Field Gas Project by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and Sunlink Energies and Resources Limited, the US$550 million UBETA Gas Project by TotalEnergies, and the US$5 billion Bonga North Deepwater Project by SNEPCo.
“These new projects are expanding opportunities across the value chain, and this training ensures Nigerians are not bystanders in their own industry,” Ogbe stated.
The initiative reflects NCDMB’s commitment to building a globally competitive Nigerian oil and gas workforce and advancing the goals of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda towards achieving a US$1 trillion economy.
