Ogbe, Eyesan, Chizi, Chevron, receive OGTAN HCD excellence Awards

Several notable key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, including the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Content Development And Monitoring Board, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Commission Chief Executive, NUPRC, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, Engr. Ofure Perfection Chizi of Renaissance Africa Energy Limited, and Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, have been honoured with the OGTAN HCD excellence awards.

Our Principal Correspondent, reports that the distinguished professionals and IOC, were honoured at the closing day of the OGTAN HCD Conference and Expo 2026, held at Effurun in Delta State.

President of OGTAN, Chris Osarumwense appreciated stakeholders for their support towards making the oil and gas sector grow.

Mrs Fumi Ogbue (2nd right) Chris Osarumwense (4th left) Hon. Peter Uviejitobor (4th right & others, at the Conference 

He noted that the 3 - day conference and expo, was graced by big players from the oil and gas industry, including Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Hon. Peter Uviejitobor.

NCDMB, KOFFESSO, Baker Hughes and Engr. Simbi Wabote, were also honoured during the closing ceremony.

The Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas) Rt. Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, during Day 3 of the conference and expo, held at Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, called on professional trainers to place human capital development at the centre of Nigeria's decade of gas initiative, warning that the infrastructure ambitions driving the country's gas expansion cannot be realised without a parallel investment in the people who will build and run it.

The Minister made the assertion in his keynote address themed "Empowering People. Driving Performance. Shaping the Future of Oil & Gas," 

Hon. Ekpo, who was represented by Chief Geologist/Technical Assistant to the Director, Gas Department, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, described the OGTAN conference theme as one that "aligns with the Federal Government's determination, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, to reposition Nigeria's energy sector as a catalyst for industrialisation, investment, job creation and sustainable economic growth."

Speaking on the Decade of Gas (2021–2030), the Minister described it as more than a policy initiative, calling it "a national development strategy that recognises natural gas as a critical enabler of Nigeria's industrial and economic transformation." 

A Cross Section of OGTAN stakeholders & Team

He said government's ambition spans deepening domestic gas utilisation, improving power generation, expanding cleaner cooking and transport fuels, and strengthening Nigeria's position in regional as well as global energy markets.

He noted that infrastructure investment alone, will not deliver on the ambition. 

As Nigeria expands gas processing facilities, pipelines, LNG and CNG infrastructure, LPG distribution networks and petrochemical plants, he said, "we must simultaneously develop the people who will design, finance, construct, operate and maintain these assets."

"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" he added.

The Minister said the pace of change in the global energy sector — driven by artificial intelligence, automation, digital twins, data analytics and rising cybersecurity demands — means the skills that have carried Nigeria's oil and gas sector this far "will not, by themselves, take us into the future." 

He called for a workforce equipped not only in traditional technical disciplines, but also in AI, digital technologies, automation, cybersecurity, gas commercialisation, carbon and emissions management, project finance, contract negotiation and energy economics, alongside soft skills such as critical thinking, adaptability and communication.

He also canvassed a shift in how training itself is measured, arguing that capacity development should not be reduced to attendance figures or certificates issued.

He stated: "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."

Ekpo credited Nigeria's progress in building indigenous capacity to the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act 2010, specifically acknowledging the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for its role in advancing indigenous participation, skills development and technology transfer across the industry. 

He noted that Nigerian professionals and indigenous companies are increasingly taking on more complex roles across the upstream, midstream and downstream segments of the industry.

Sustaining that momentum, he argued, will require deeper collaboration — government, industry, academia and training bodies such as OGTAN working in concert, rather than in isolation. 

He called on universities to produce more industry-ready graduates, challenging the industry players to expand internships, apprenticeships and mentorship opportunities, and urged training providers to keep programmes aligned with actual industry demand. 

He described OGTAN as having "an important responsibility to continue evolving as a strategic human-capital development partner for Nigeria's energy transformation," tasked with anticipating future skill - needs and preparing Nigerian professionals to compete globally.

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