“Empowering People. Driving Performance. Shaping the Future of Oil & Gas”

“Empowering People. Driving Performance. Shaping the Future of Oil & Gas”

 

1. It is a great privilege to address you at the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) Human Capacity Development Conference 2026. I bring warm greetings from the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Ph.Dwhom I have the honour to represent at this important gathering.

 

2. Let me commend OGTAN for its sustained commitment to professional excellence and human capacity development across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. Through its focus on competence, standards and continuous learning, OGTAN continues to play important roles in developing the skilled workforce required to sustain the growth and competitiveness of our petroleum sector.

 

3. The theme of this conference, “Empowering People. Driving Performance. Shaping the Future of Oil & Gas,” is both timely and compelling. It aligns with the Federal Government’s determination, under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to reposition Nigeria’s energy sector as a catalyst for industrialisation, investment, job creation and sustainable economic growth.

 

4. More importantly, the theme reinforces a fundamental truth: the 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.

 

5. Nigeria is richly endowed with oil and gas resources, including one of Africa’s largest natural gas endowments and enormous opportunities across the petroleum value chain.

 

6. But resources alone do not create prosperity.No refinery operates efficiently without skilled engineers and technicians. No gas processing facility succeeds without competent operators. No pipeline remains safe without trained personnel. And no investment delivers sustainable value without capable regulators, commercial experts, project managers, researchers and innovators.

 

7. Simply put, it is people who transform natural resources into national prosperity.

 

8. Therefore, if Nigeria is to achieve greater investment, improved productivity, enhanced energy security and sustainable economic growth, we must invest deliberately in the knowledge, competence and capabilities of our people.

 

9. The declaration of 2021–2030 as Nigeria’s Decade of Gas represents much more than a policy initiative. It is a national development strategy that recognises natural gas as a critical enabler of Nigeria’s industrial and economic transformation.

 

10. Our ambition is to deepen domestic gas utilisation, improve power generation, expand cleaner cooking and transportation fuels, stimulate gas-based industries, create jobs, enhance energy access and strengthen Nigeria’s position in regional and global energy markets.

 

11. However, infrastructure alone cannot deliver this ambition.As we expand gas processing facilities, pipelines, LNG projects, CNG infrastructure, LPG distribution networks, petrochemical facilities and other gas-based industries, we must simultaneously develop the people who will design, finance, construct, operate and maintain these assets.

 

12. Infrastructure creates opportunity, but human capacity converts opportunity into sustainable value.Human Capacity Development must therefore remain at the centre of the Decade of Gas and Nigeria’s broader energy transformation.

 

13. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the global energy landscape is evolving at unprecedented speed.Artificial Intelligence is transforming exploration and decision-making. Automation is redefining operations. Digital twins and data analytics are improving asset performance. Cybersecurity has become fundamental to critical energy infrastructure, while carbon management, emissions reduction and cleaner technologies increasingly influence investment decisions and market access.

 

14. The skills that brought us this far will not, by themselves, take us into the future.Our workforce must therefore be equipped not only with traditional technical competencies, but also with capabilities in Artificial Intelligence, digital technologies, data analytics, automation, cybersecurity, gas commercialisation, carbon and emissions management, project finance, contract negotiation, energy economics and strategic leadership.

 

15. Equally important are critical thinking, communication, teamwork, integrity, adaptability and creativity.

 

16. In a rapidly changing global industry, the competitive advantage will belong to individuals, organisations and nations that can learn, adapt and innovate faster.

 

17. This brings us to an important question: How do we translate training into measurable performance?

 

18. Human Capacity Development must never be regarded merely as a compliance requirement or an annual organisational activity. It must be treated as a strategic investment in productivity, safety, innovation and competitiveness.

 

19. The true measure of training is not the number of courses attended or certificates issued. It is the measurable improvement in competence, productivity, safety, operational efficiency, innovation and organisational performance.

 

20. We must therefore move from training for training’s sake to training for performance and measurable impact.

 

21. This requires capacity development that is demand-driven, competency-based, technology-enabled and closely aligned with current and emerging industry needs.

 

22. Nigeria has made significant progress in developing indigenous capacity through the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act 2010.

 

23. In this regard, I wish to particularly acknowledge the important work of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in promoting indigenous participation, skills development, technology transfer and the growth of Nigerian capacity across the oil and gas industry.

 

24. Through its Nigerian Content mandate and various human capacity development interventions, the NCDMB has contributed significantly to creating opportunities for Nigerians to acquire the technical, professional and entrepreneurial competencies required to participate meaningfully in increasingly complex oil and gas activities.

 

25. Today, Nigerian professionals and indigenous companies are playing increasingly important roles across the upstream, midstream and downstream segments of the petroleum industry. Local technical expertise continues to grow, and Nigerian professionals are demonstrating their capabilities on increasingly complex projects.

 

26. We must build on these gains.Government cannot do it alone. Industry cannot do it alone. Neither can academia nor training institutions working in isolation.

 

27. We need stronger collaboration among government, industry, academia, research institutions and professional training organisations such as OGTAN.

 

28. Our universities and technical institutions must produce graduates who are increasingly industry-ready. Industry must expand opportunities for internships, apprenticeships, mentorship, professional certification and practical exposure. Training providers must continuously update their programmes to reflect technological advancement and actual industry demand.

 

29. We must equally create greater opportunities for young Nigerians and women to participate meaningfully across technical, commercial and leadership roles in the oil and gas value chain.

 

30. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources – Gas, remains committed to supporting the development of a highly skilled, innovative and globally competitive petroleum-sector workforce.

 

31. We will continue to promote stronger industry–academia collaboration, modern technical and vocational education, professional certification, research and innovation, technology transfer, apprenticeship and graduate development programmes, as well as the establishment of globally competitive centres of excellence.

 

32. But our ambition must go beyond developing professionals who can meet Nigeria’s domestic requirements.

 

33. We must develop Nigerian professionals whose competence is respected and sought after anywhere in the world.

 

34. Nigeria should not only export energy resources. We must increasingly position ourselves to export energy expertise, technology, innovation and professional services.

 

35. In this regard, OGTAN has an important responsibility to continue evolving as a strategic human-capital development partner for Nigeria’s energy transformation—one that anticipates the skills of tomorrow and ensures that Nigerian professionals are prepared for the opportunities of the future.

CONCLUSION

36. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry will not be determined solely by how much oil we produce or how much gas we possess. It will increasingly be determined by what our people know, what they can do, how effectively they innovate, and how prepared they are to compete in a rapidly changing global energy landscape.

 

37. As we advance the Decade of Gas and position Nigeria as a leading gas-powered economy, let us place Human Capacity Development at the heart of our policies, investments and strategic decisions.

 

38. Government, industry, academia and professional organisations such as OGTAN must work together to build a workforce that is competent, innovative, adaptable, productive and globally competitive.

 

39. On behalf of the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), I commend OGTAN for convening this important conference and for its continued contribution to the development of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

 

40. May the conversations at this conference go beyond identifying challenges to producing practical solutions, stronger partnerships and measurable outcomes for our industry and our nation.

 

41. Together, let us empower our people, drive performance and shape a prosperous future for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

 

42. Thank you for your kind attention.

 

43. May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.