By Paul Williams
Nigeria’s gas company,NLNG, in collaboration with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), has began a 3-month training for 140 technicians and engineers.
The training, which is through its Train 7 HCD Advanced Training Programme, is to produce world-class professionals – technicians and engineers – that would further boost the Nigerian content in the oil and gas industry.
The initiative, which is the on-the-job component of the NLNG Train 7 NC-HCD programme, will see the trainees gain practical exposure and experience across various technical domains within the NLNG plants on Bonny Island in Rivers State.
NLNG’s General Manager External Relations and Sustainable Development, Dr Sophia Horsfall, at the kick-off in Port Harcourt on June 4, 2025, said the programme represents “a reaffirmation of NLNG’s unwavering commitment to human capital development mandate of the Federal Government, through NCDMB, to build its strong, skilled and competitive Nigerian workforce, for the oil and gas industry.”
She said the 140 trainees inaugurated on Wednesday are “to undergo a robust advanced training, an on-the-job training program within our facilities. They through this program will be able to enhance skills obtained in various disciplines prior to this time.”
Horsfall noted that Batch A of the NLNG T7 HCD basic training program began in November 2024 with 331 trainees undergoing capacity development in facility management, engineering, ICT, HSC, quality assurance, quality control, welding, fabrication and others.
“Batch B of the NLNG train 7 basic training program which also kicked off on the 27th of May 2025 has some 70 trainees undergoing capacity development and they’re doing so in the fields of data analysis, supply chain management. All these are critical skills required in the industry and it is a testament to many impressive benefits of the NLNG train 7 project which is currently at about 80 percent of completion,” she said.
Horsfall urged the trainees to take advantage of the training, adding that “it is a unique opportunity to develop yourselves, actualize your full potential, and contribute meaningfully to the future of Nigeria’s energy sector.”
Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Engr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by Tarilate Teida-Biribena, Manager, CBD, said “the NLNG Train 7 Advanced National Content Human Capital Development (NC-HCD) Programme is a declaration of our collective commitment to nurturing world-class Nigerian professionals who will shape the future of our oil and gas industry.
“Building on the Train 7 project, and through this framework, we have facilitated basic training for over 400 Nigerians in diverse technical, vocational, and specialized areas, equipping them with practical skills directly aligned with industry needs.
“This initiative underscores our belief that theory must meet practice, and that skills must be honed in environments that reflect the realities of the modern energy sector,” he said.
Ogbe commended NLNG for its commitment to national capacity building, and the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), for its role in promoting human capacity development in the oil and gas industry.
“Through their professionalism, dedication, and technical competence, OGTAN has helped to bridge the gap between training and employability — ensuring that our trainees do not just learn, but are ready to contribute meaningfully from day one.
“Projects such NLNG Train 7 NC-HCD is an embodiment of a functional collaboration that fosters a pipeline of skilled professionals capable of driving innovation and efficiency in the oil and gas value chain.
“As a result, Nigerian youths are being strategically equipped to take on high-value roles, participate in international projects, and contribute meaningfully to the global energy market, thereby fulfilling the broader goals of economic inclusion and national development envisioned under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” Ogbe said.
Nnadi Chikwado, one of the trainees (electrical technician), expressed gratitude to NLNG for the opportunity to be part of the programme. He described it as a life-changing opportunity that should be sustained to improve the fortunes of youths in the region.
