• Vows to tighten training compliance

Federal government has raised concerns over token compliance, weak training outcomes and abuses in Human Capacity Development programmes, warning that Nigeria cannot achieve the objectives of its Nigerian Content policy if training expenditure does not translate into genuine competence.

Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) declared the concern at the OGTAN Human Capacity Development Conference and Expo in Warri, Delta State, where participants examined the implementation of the NOGICD Act and the quality of workforce development supporting Nigeria’s petroleum industry.

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Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Ogbe, said the Board was developing a work plan around implementation of the NOGICD Act while strengthening monitoring and evaluation of training activities.

His presentation was delivered by the Director in charge of Capacity Building Directorate, Engr. Abayomi Bamidele.

Engr Ogbe disclosed that OGTAN has about 400 members, but fewer than five per cent currently meet the required benchmark. He added that compliance reviews had shown that many operators were not undertaking full and genuine compliance with Nigerian Content requirements but were instead engaging in token gestures.

The NCDMB’s response is to place greater emphasis on monitoring and evaluation, including collaboration with NUIMS to ensure that funds committed to training are properly utilized.

Oracle Intelligence reports that the NOGICD Act was designed not merely to compel companies to spend money on Nigerians, but to progressively develop the technical and professional capabilities required for Nigerians to participate across the petroleum value chain.

Engr Ogbe said the Board had received feedback indicating dissatisfaction with the quality of skills being developed under some programmes.

Training providers also raised concerns about participants who complete courses primarily to obtain certificates rather than acquire the skills required by industry.

The problem, according to speakers at the conference, is a structural disconnect between certification and competence.

Managing Director and CEO of ND Western, Olanrewaju Kalejaiye, argued that effective HCD must be connected directly to business outcomes. Training, he said, should improve safety, reliability, cost performance and production rather than simply satisfy a compliance requirement.

He further called for training to combine knowledge with real field exposure, arguing that graduates should be exposed to different operational experiences early in their careers. Operators, he said, should also take ownership of talent development rather than leaving the responsibility exclusively to human resources departments.

Ogbe also identified another vulnerability in the training system: abuse of programme allowances. He disclosed that some trainees had been found attempting to draw training allowances while simultaneously enrolled in the National Youth Service Corps scheme. The Board, he said, would deploy National Identification Number (NIN) verification to shut such loopholes.

The concern reflects a broader shift in the NCDMB’s approach to local content development. As new investment returns to the industry, the Board appears increasingly focused on whether expenditure mandated under Nigerian Content rules produces measurable capacity rather than merely satisfying documentary requirements.

The Warri conference consequently established a clear distinction between training compliance and training effectiveness. For Nigerian Content to mature beyond numerical participation and expenditure reporting, stakeholders argued that certificates must increasingly be judged by what their holders can actually do.

That means stronger monitoring of training providers, better measurement of outcomes, tighter verification of beneficiaries and greater industry involvement in curriculum and practical exposure. Without these, rising expenditure on HCD could produce more certificates without creating the technical workforce required to capture the next wave of petroleum investment for Nigeria.