Oando, NCDMB Begin 12-month Drilling Training for Young Nigerians

. Initiative targets technical skills, host community development

. Participants to undergo classroom, on-the-job training

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited (OERNL), a subsidiary of Oando Plc, in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Hilong Oil Service & Engineering Nigeria Limited, has commenced a 12-month human capacity development programme aimed at equipping young Nigerians with specialised drilling engineering skills.

The programme, which commenced on September 4, 2026, in Port Harcourt, is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s technical workforce as indigenous companies assume greater ownership and operational responsibility for oil and gas assets previously operated by international oil companies.

The initiative will combine intensive classroom instruction with structured on-the-job training, providing participants with practical exposure to drilling operations and other technical aspects of the petroleum industry.

According to Oando, the programme is intended to develop a sustainable pipeline of Nigerian technical professionals capable of supporting the safe, efficient and sustainable operation of the country’s oil and gas assets.

According to the company, participants will receive training in Basic Drilling Engineering Operations, Well Planning and Design, Measurement While Drilling (MWD), Logging While Drilling (LWD), drilling rig operations and well-log data analytics.

The programme will also cover entrepreneurship, business management and digital skills, with the aim of broadening the participants’ capacity to create and participate in opportunities across the energy value chain.

“Their training will cover Basic Drilling Engineering Operations, Well Planning and Design, Measurement While Drilling (MWD), Logging While Drilling (LWD), drilling rig operations and well-log data analytics.

“Beyond technical competence, participants will also receive training in entrepreneurship, business management, and digital skills, broadening their ability to create and participate in opportunities across the energy value chain,” the statement added.

The training is linked to the Provision of Turnkey Joint Venture (JV) Services for Workover and Recompletion of the Obiafu 44 Well, thereby giving participants an opportunity to connect classroom knowledge with actual industry operations.

Speaking to the participants, Manager, Nigerian Content Division, Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited, Deji Agboola, described the programme as a major opportunity for the beneficiaries to contribute to the development of the country.

“Oando, NCDMB, and Hilong have given you an opportunity of a lifetime to play a role in the development of Nigeria. Being here equips you with the capacity to contribute meaningfully to the future of the oil and gas industry, as well as the country,” he said.

The programme comes against the backdrop of increasing indigenous participation in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, with local companies taking on larger operational roles and acquiring assets from international oil companies.

Oando stated that ownership of oil and gas assets must be accompanied by deliberate investment in the technical workforce required to operate them.

It stressed that as experienced professionals leave the industry, knowledge transfer and succession planning would become increasingly important to preserving and expanding Nigeria’s technical capabilities.

The company also said the programme reflected its commitment to developing Nigerian technical talent and creating pathways for young Nigerians, particularly those from host communities, to acquire industry-relevant knowledge and practical experience.

Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Board’s General Manager, Human Capacity Development, Mrs Alexis Emelle, described the initiative as an investment in both the beneficiaries and the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

The collaboration between OERNL, NCDMB and Hilong is expected to provide the participants with a combination of technical training and field experience, addressing the gap between theoretical knowledge and competence in real operational environments.

The partners said developing human capacity remained critical to ensuring that Nigeria derives value from its energy resources beyond production, while creating opportunities for host communities and strengthening the country’s ability to manage increasingly complex oil and gas operations.