• Takes HCD debate to Warri

The Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) has declared that sustainability of the Nigerian petroleum industry goes beyond abundance of resources to depend on availability of talents for its exploitation.

The trainers’ group which is hosting its novel conference in the oil city of Warri also stated that it has taken the debate on the future of Nigeria’s petroleum industry human capital to Warri, Delta State in deliberate strategy to connect the industry with the people.

OGTAN President, Chris Osarumwense, stated at welcome dinner at the event that the region should now be viewed not merely as a centre of oil production but as a reservoir of talent, technical expertise, enterprise, institutions and enormous human capital potential.

The association said the decision to host its 2026 conference in Warri was deliberate, reflecting the city’s historic and continuing connection with Nigeria’s petroleum industry and providing an opportunity to take the conversation on workforce development beyond the traditional conference centres of Lagos and Abuja.

The OGTAN President said the development of human capital was a continuous process requiring progression, discipline, collaboration and sustained investment in people.

He described the conference as the first in a series of conversations designed to examine how Nigeria could sustain and develop the workforce required to deliver on the promises and future ambitions of oil and gas companies operating in the country.

According to him, the conference provides an opportunity for stakeholders to step away from their individual organisational, professional and institutional responsibilities and come together around a common concern: developing the people and capabilities required to power Nigeria’s energy industry into the future.

He said the history of petroleum exploration, production, processing, oilfield services, technical manpower development and community engagement in the Niger Delta was inseparable from the broader evolution of Nigeria’s energy economy.

For that reason, he said, international discussions on the future of oil and gas human capital development were better situated in a community deeply embedded in the history and realities of the industry.

The OGTAN President noted that Warri represented an important intersection of industry, technical capability, communities, institutions and human capital, making it particularly appropriate for a conference focused on developing the workforce needed to sustain the industry.

He said the Niger Delta had for decades remained at the heart of Nigeria’s petroleum industry, adding that taking the conference to Warri was also intended to enable international participants and industry partners to experience Nigeria beyond the conventional image of a geographical location associated with petroleum production.

Rather, he said, the region should be appreciated for its people, enterprise, technical capabilities, institutions, communities and immense human capital potential.

He said the collaboration with the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), one of Nigeria’s foremost institutions for technical and professional training in the petroleum sector, further strengthened the rationale for choosing Warri.

The OGTAN President said the location offered a fitting environment for conversations about developing the people who would ultimately drive Nigeria’s energy transition and clean energy future.

He also used the Human Capital Development Golf Tournament organised ahead of the conference to underscore the importance of relationships, preparation and continuous improvement in developing a competent workforce.

Drawing a parallel between golf and human capital development, he said both required preparation, discipline, concentration, patience, strategy and continuous improvement, stressing that success was rarely the product of one perfect effort but rather the result of consistently making sound decisions, learning from mistakes and improving performance.

He congratulated participants in the tournament, particularly the winners, whose achievements were to be formally recognised, while noting that everyone who participated has contributed to strengthening the relationships and community underpinning the conference.

Beyond the formal sessions, he challenged participants to use the conference to build relationships, establish partnerships, identify competency gaps, exchange ideas and develop practical training solutions.

He argued that the challenges confronting the petroleum industry had become too complex for any single stakeholder to resolve, stressing that government, regulators, oil and gas companies, training providers, universities and technical institutions must work together across the industry value chain.

“Government alone cannot solve it. Regulators cannot solve it alone. Oil and gas companies cannot solve it alone,” he said, stressing that training providers, universities and technical institutions also had critical roles to play.

He urged delegates to use the two-day conference not only to listen to presentations but also to reconnect with old colleagues, establish new relationships, explore partnerships and identify opportunities for collaboration.

According to him, some of the most important outcomes of an industry conference may not emerge from the podium but from the relationships, ideas and partnerships created among participants after the formal sessions.

He expressed appreciation to the conference’s partners, sponsors, speakers, panelists, educators, members and supporting organisations, saying their contributions had helped to create a platform for sustained dialogue on the development of the people required to secure the future of Nigeria’s energy industry.