By Our Correspondent<\/p>\n
Petroleum Resources (Gas), Minister of state Ekperikpe Ekpo, has declared that the future of Nigeria\u2019s oil and gas industry will depend increasingly on the quality, competence and ingenuity of its workforce rather than solely on the country\u2019s abundant petroleum resources.<\/p>\n
Ekpo stated this in a keynote address delivered by Geo. Ogidikpe Ayauge on his behalf on Friday, the third and final day of the three-day Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) Human Capacity Development Conference 2026 at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State.<\/p>\n
The conference, themed \u201cEmpowering People. Driving Performance. Shaping the Future of Oil & Gas,\u201d focused on the role of human capital development in strengthening Nigeria\u2019s energy sector amid technological and industrial changes. <\/p>\n
The minister said the development of competent personnel must remain central to the Federal Government\u2019s efforts to expand gas utilisation, improve energy security, attract investment and create jobs under the Decade of Gas initiative.<\/p>\n
He said expanding gas processing facilities, pipelines, LNG projects, CNG infrastructure, LPG distribution networks and other gas-based industries would require people capable of designing, financing, constructing, operating and maintaining the assets. <\/p>\n
He added that training should be viewed as a strategic investment in productivity, safety, innovation and competitiveness, rather than merely as a compliance requirement.<\/p>\n
According to him, the industry must move from \u201ctraining for training\u2019s sake to training for performance and measurable impact\u201d, with capacity development aligned with current and emerging industry requirements. <\/p>\n
He identified artificial intelligence, digital technologies, data analytics, automation, cybersecurity, gas commercialisation, carbon and emissions management, project finance, contract negotiation, energy economics and strategic leadership among the skills increasingly required by the sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe future of our energy industry will be determined not only by the resources beneath our soil, but by the quality, competence and ingenuity of our people,\u201d Ekpo said.<\/p>\n
The minister also called for stronger collaboration among government, industry, academia, research institutions and professional training organisations to address skills gaps in the petroleum sector.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged the contribution of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to indigenous participation, skills development, technology transfer and capacity building under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010.<\/p>\n
Ekpo said the government would continue to promote industry-academia collaboration, modern technical and vocational education, professional certification, research and innovation, technology transfer, apprenticeship and graduate development programmes, as well as globally competitive centres of excellence.<\/p>\n
He urged OGTAN to continue evolving as a strategic human-capital development partner capable of anticipating future skills requirements and preparing Nigerian professionals for opportunities in the changing energy industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must develop Nigerian professionals whose competence is respected and sought after anywhere in the world,\u201d he said, adding that Nigeria should increasingly seek to export energy expertise, technology, innovation and professional services in addition to its energy resources.<\/p>\n
In a goodwill message, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborewori, represented by the Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Peter Uviejitobor, said the state government had placed skills development and economic empowerment at the centre of its MORE Agenda.<\/p>\n
Oborewori said the state had invested in technical colleges, vocational education, innovation hubs and entrepreneurship programmes to equip young people with relevant industrial competencies and improve their employability.<\/p>\n
He said sustainable development of the petroleum industry required a competent and globally competitive workforce, particularly in view of technological advances, digitalisation, automation, artificial intelligence and cleaner energy solutions.<\/p>\n
The governor urged industry operators, regulators, educational institutions, development partners and training organisations to strengthen collaboration, align curricula with emerging industrial needs, expand apprenticeship opportunities and promote technology transfer.<\/p>\n
Also speaking at the conference, Engr. Prof. Omonigho B. Otanocha, in a keynote titled \u201cThe Future Workforce \u2013 Digitalisation and Decarbonisation: What the Next Decade of Nigerian Oil and Gas Demands of its People, Beyond the Technical,\u201dsaid digitalisation and decarbonisation would require a workforce that was technologically empowered, adaptable, ethical and inclusive.<\/p>\n
Otanocha advocated stronger mentorship, collaboration between higher institutions and industry, STEM outreaches, gender inclusivity, community engagement and strategic stakeholder management as part of efforts to prepare Nigerians for the future of the energy industry.<\/p>\n
He also called for greater integration of artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, additive manufacturing, carbon management and renewable energy into workforce development, while stressing the importance of communication, collaboration, leadership, ethics and policy literacy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe oil and gas industry\u2019s future will not be secured by machines alone. It will be secured by people \u2013 empowered, enlightened, and ethically driven,\u201d Otanocha said.<\/p>\n
The conference brought together stakeholders in government, industry, academia, training institutions and related professional bodies to deliberate on human capacity development and the changing skills requirements of Nigeria\u2019s oil and gas sector. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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