Oil and gas: Board stresses need for training of Nigerians as key players

 The Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) says Nigerians can become major players in the oil and gas industry if they are properly trained.

The Head, Human Capital Development, NCDMB, Mrs Michele Aiyegbusi, said this at the 5th Practical Nigeria Content Conference on Wednesday in Yenagoa.

She said that Nigerians could reap the benefit of the local content law and not lose jobs to expatriate in the sector.

“NCDMB has taken the challenge of training and retraining people to become experts in different aspects in the oil and gas sector. Over 3,000 people have benefited from this. Engineers, technicians and seafarers are some of the professionals that have benefited from our training. We have training in geosciences, underwater welding, oil spill management and remediation, machinist and artisans training. We believe that these are the areas that we need expertise in, “ she said.

Aiyegbusi urged stakeholders to join the board in making training a top priority so that high technical and managerial positions in the oil and gas sectors of the country would be filled by Nigerians.

She also called on oil producers to make training of youths in host communities a priority to help foster peaceful co-existence between the company and the community.

Meanwhile, the Commercial Manager, Tenaris Global Services, Mrs Rosario Osobarse, said the depressed oil prices and high operating cost were affecting the level of investment for training by oil companies.

“We have been doubly hit by the fall in oil prices and because of that, monetary and financial policies have been tightened which is affecting contracts and projects in the sector. So most companies at the moment are concerned about downsising and minimising cost,”  she said.

Osobarse said companies in the sector were now looking at online training, which was much cheaper for them.