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The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has launched a Human Capital Development (HCD) empowerment initiative aimed at training 10,000 Nigerians to meet the growing workforce demand in the country’s oil and gas sector as new projects worth about $8 billion take off. The programme, tagged the Oil and Gas Field Readiness Training Programme, is designed to equip young Nigerians with high-demand technical and professional skills, enabling them to actively participate in new oil and gas operations driven by recent Final Investment Decisions (FIDs) by both international and indigenous companies. According to a statement by NCDMB’s General Manager, Obinna Ezeobi, the initiative seeks to build a new generation of skilled professionals ready to execute complex energy projects locally. NCDMB’s Executive Secretary, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the programme was developed to bridge existing skill gaps identified through expatriate quota applications and consultations with major industry bodies, including the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), and the Petroleum Contractors Trade Section (PCTS). “This initiative will strategically close identified skill gaps and prepare a new generation of professionals capable of executing complex oil and gas operations locally,” Ogbe said. He added that the programme aligns with 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 in all approved work programmes. The Field Readiness Training Programme will focus on 10 priority skill areas, including subsea engineering, underwater welding, control and automation engineering (covering cementing, well control, and rig operations), helicopter piloting, seafaring and vessel maintenance, production and maintenance engineering, QA/QC and non-destructive testing, geoscience and wellsite operations, as well as emerging digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), big data, drones, and cloud computing. According to Bamidele Abayomi, NCDMB’s Director of Capacity Building, the training will run for two to three years, combining classroom instruction, laboratory and workshop practicals, professional certifications, and at least six months of on-the-job training (OJT) with partner service companies. Each skill area will be supported by at least three technical partners, while Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) and soft skills will be delivered by accredited providers under the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN). Successful participants will be included in the NCDMB National Skills Database for possible deployment by service and operating companies. The Board will also provide trainees with monthly stipends, safety gear, medical screening, and insurance coverage throughout the programme. Eligible applicants must be under 35 years old and hold qualifications in fields such as Petroleum, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Gas, Welding, Metallurgy, Geology, Geophysics, or Computer Science. Interested candidates can register via the NCDMB’s Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS) portal and select up to three preferred skill areas. Through this empowerment initiative, NCDMB reinforces its commitment to developing local capacity, ensuring Nigerian professionals remain at the heart of the oil and gas industry’s next phase of growth and innovation.

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