The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has raised concerns over the country’s growing energy workforce and technical skills gap, warning that Nigeria could lose control of its energy future unless urgent measures are taken to address the shortage.
The company’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Kazachiyang Nuhu, said the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, the Decade of Gas initiative, increased participation by indigenous operators and the global energy transition were driving demand for technical expertise faster than the industry could develop the required talent.
Nuhu spoke on Thursday at the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria HCD Conference and Expo in Warri, Delta State.
In his presentation at the conference, he said the evolving energy landscape, shaped by policy changes, market dynamics, technological advancements and the changing expectations of younger workers, was driving demand for technical talent that Nigeria could no longer afford to overlook.
He said artificial intelligence, digitalisation and automation were shortening skills cycles, while investment was increasingly shifting towards liquefied natural gas, cleaner energy solutions and low-carbon opportunities.
Nuhu warned that without urgent efforts to reskill and reposition the workforce, Nigeria risked losing its capacity to compete and participate effectively in the emerging energy economy.
“Reskill, reposition or risk becoming a spectator in our own industry,” he told stakeholders at the conference.
He identified workforce and skills shortages, an ageing workforce and brain drain, commonly known as ‘japa’, as some of the major challenges facing the industry. Nuhu also pointed to the growing disconnect between academia and industry, particularly the mismatch between what students are taught in educational institutions and the practical skills employers expect from new recruits from day one.
Other challenges he highlighted included weak safety practices, oil spills and gas flaring; vandalism, crude oil theft, surveillance and metering gaps; shortages of quality materials and equipment; ageing infrastructure, asset reliability and project cost overruns; digital oilfield and environmental, social and governance skills; as well as refinery operations, product quality, LPG safety and trade finance.
Nuhu said addressing the challenges would require a fundamental shift in the industry’s approach to human capital development. He stressed that training should be closely tied to production, safety, reliability and cost efficiency, with programmes designed around current field realities rather than generic manuals.
He also called for training programmes to be benchmarked against global standards and strengthened with emerging technologies, including simulators, digital twins, virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.
“Every naira spent on training must translate to a safer plant, a skilled employee, and a stronger balance sheet,” he added.
Nuhu disclosed that NNPC would also review its approach to engaging training providers, stressing that trainers must have a clear understanding of the industry’s direction and the skills that would be required to meet its future needs.
“We will partner only with trainers who teach the industry we are becoming, not the one we are leaving behind,” he said.
He said the company was already strengthening its workforce through initial professional development programmes, structured career pathways, industry exposure, leadership development pipelines, mentorship and knowledge transfer initiatives.
