NNPCL Warns Skills Gap could Threaten Nigeria’s Energy Future

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has warned that Nigeria’s widening energy skills gap could undermine the country’s ability to benefit from its changing energy landscape.

NNPCL Chief Human Resources Officer Kazachiyang Nuhu said the Petroleum Industry Act, the Decade of Gas, rising participation by indigenous operators and the global energy transition were creating demand for technical skills that the country was struggling to develop quickly enough.

Speaking at the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) Human Capital Development Conference and Expo in Warri, Delta State, Nuhu disclosed that artificial intelligence, digitalisation and automation were rapidly changing the industry, while investment was shifting towards gas, liquefied natural gas and lower-carbon opportunities.

“Reskill, reposition or risk becoming a spectator in our own industry,” he told industry stakeholders.

Industry faces growing talent and training challenges

Nuhu identified an ageing workforce, brain drain and the disconnect between academic training and industry requirements as major challenges.

He averred that the industry also needed stronger expertise in areas ranging from digital oilfield operations and predictive maintenance to gas-to-power, renewable-energy integration, energy economics and carbon markets.

He called for training programmes to be linked more closely to actual industry needs and supported by technologies such as simulators, digital twins, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

NNPC, he said, was strengthening professional development, career pathways, mentorship and knowledge transfer while changing how it engages training providers.

The company would prioritise trainers capable of preparing workers for the industry's future rather than relying on skills suited to an older energy model.

Nuhu also argued that Nigerian content should be measured by expertise and leadership rather than simply the number of Nigerians employed on projects.

OGTAN President Chris Osarunmewense said closing the skills gap would require cooperation among government, regulators, energy companies, training institutions and universities.

He disclosed that the conference's location in Warri was deliberate, given the Niger Delta's longstanding role in Nigeria's petroleum industry and its pool of technical expertise.

The challenge extends beyond filling current vacancies for Nigeria. Building and retaining skilled workers will be critical to sustaining the oil and gas industry while developing the capabilities needed for the country's emerging energy economy.