Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is entering a defining new chapter. As international oil companies adjust their portfolios and indigenous energy companies assume ownership and operation of the country’s oil and gas assets, the conversation around local participation must evolve. Increasing indigenous participation in this manner is important, but ownership alone is not enough. The industry must also build the depth of technical expertise required to operate those assets safely, efficiently, and sustainably for decades to come.
At the heart of this transition are the people. The engineers, technicians, and professionals who will lead the next era of Nigeria’s energy industry must be identified, trained, and given meaningful exposure today. For indigenous operators, investing in this next generation is therefore more than a Nigerian Content obligation; it is an investment in the long-term resilience of the industry and the communities in which they operate.
It is against this backdrop that on September 4, 2026, Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited (OERNL), a subsidiary of Oando PLC, in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Hilong Oil Service and Engineering Nigeria Limited, commenced a 12-month Human Capacity Development Programme in Port-Harcourt, to equip young Nigerians with specialised drilling engineering skills and practical industry experience.
The programme reflects Oando’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s technical talent and creating pathways for Nigerians, particularly those from its host communities, to gain industry-relevant knowledge, technical competence, and practical experience.
Over 12 months, participants will move from intensive classroom learning to structured on-the-job training, bridging a gap that remains critical to technical capacity development: the ability to translate theoretical knowledge into competence in real operational environments.
Their training will cover Basic Drilling Engineering Operations, Well Planning and Design, Measurement While Drilling (MWD), Logging While Drilling (LWD), drilling rig operations and well-log data analytics. Beyond technical competence, participants will also receive training in entrepreneurship, business management, and digital skills, broadening their ability to create and participate in opportunities across the energy value chain.
The programme is linked to the Provision of Turnkey Joint Venture (JV) Services for Workover and Recompletion of the Obiafu 44 Well, providing an opportunity to connect capacity development to the realities of industry operations.
For Oando, this investment comes at a particularly important point in the evolution of Nigeria’s energy sector. As indigenous companies take on larger operational roles, building a sustainable talent pipeline becomes increasingly critical. Experienced professionals will eventually exit the workforce, making deliberate knowledge transfer and succession planning crucial to preserving and expanding Nigeria’s technical capability.
Speaking to the participants, Manager, Nigerian Content Division, Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited, Deji Agboola, underscored the responsibility that comes with the opportunity. ‘Oando, NCDMB, and Hilong have given you an opportunity of a lifetime, to play a role in the development of Nigeria. Being here equips you with the capacity to contribute meaningfully to the future of the oil and gas industry, as well as the country.’
The Nigerian government’s approach to local participation recognises that capacity building must go hand in hand with creating opportunities for host communities. The objective is not only to develop energy professionals capable of eventually leading complex operations and to retain critical knowledge within the industry, but also to ensure that communities around these assets are positioned to benefit from the economic opportunities they generate.
Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Board’s General Manager, Human Capacity Development, Mrs Alexis Emelle, described the programme as an investment not only in its participants but in the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. That future will ultimately depend on how deliberately the industry prepares people for it.
Developing the capacity of the Nigerian energy sector is a long-term commitment of guaranteeing that its energy resources create value beyond production. By investing in skills, knowledge, and opportunity, Oando is building a pipeline of Nigerian talent capable of sustaining the industry, strengthening host communities, and taking on increasingly complex roles across the energy value chain.
The company is ensuring that as a new generation of indigenous companies take on the responsibility of building Nigeria’s energy future, a new generation of Nigerians are equipped to lead it.