Operators in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry have called for a fundamental shift in the way Human Capacity Development (HCD) is approached under the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) framework, arguing that workforce development must be tied directly to operational performance rather than treated merely as a regulatory compliance obligation.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ND Western, Mr. Olanrewaju Kalejaiye, made the case at the Human Capacity Development Conference and Expo organised by the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) in Warri, Delta State, stressing that the quality of Nigeria’s workforce would increasingly determine the industry’s ability to safely produce hydrocarbons and deliver value from the new investment cycle.

Ad >>>

Kalejaiye, who spoke from the operator’s perspective during the panel session on “Setting the Agenda – Local Content & Human Capital under PIA 2021 & NOGICD,” said Human Capacity Development is often viewed either as a compliance requirement or simply as training, whereas its real significance lies in its contribution to safety, reliability, cost efficiency and production growth.

His position provides an important perspective on the next phase of Nigerian Content development, coming at a time when the industry is anticipating renewed investment in deepwater, offshore and other major projects after years of subdued investment.

According to Kalejaiye, the NOGICD Act has already helped increase local participation in the petroleum industry, contributing to more engineering design work being undertaken locally, a stronger indigenous supply chain and a deeper pool of Nigerian talent. But he warned that the industry itself is evolving faster than the existing talent development system can respond.

He therefore argued that the next phase of Human Capacity Development must be deliberately designed around actual industry requirements. Training, he said, must not end in the classroom but should combine theoretical knowledge with practical exposure, particularly by giving young graduates opportunities to experience different aspects of operations early in their careers.

The operator’s perspective is particularly significant because the Nigerian Content regime was established to ensure that investments in the petroleum industry generate sustainable indigenous capacity rather than merely local employment. For operators, however, that objective can only be achieved if the people produced through HCD programmes possess the competence required to perform safely and efficiently in real operating environments.

Kalejaiye consequently urged operators to become more intentional about developing their people, particularly middle-level managers who, he said, are critical to translating corporate strategies into operational results. He also called for greater collaboration among international oil companies, indigenous producers, regulators, training organisations and academic institutions, arguing that Nigerian Content becomes stronger when the industry functions as a community rather than as disconnected stakeholders.

He further challenged the industry to measure the actual value created by talent development and to move responsibility for workforce development beyond human resources departments. According to him, discipline heads within operating companies must take ownership of developing the technical capabilities required in their respective areas.

The need for such a shift becomes even more apparent from the experience of indigenous operators taking over assets previously supported by international oil companies.

Kalejaiye cited the experience of indigenous producers such as ND Western, which inherited assets without necessarily inheriting the full technical support structures that had previously been provided by international operators. The resulting technical capability gaps, he said, underscore the need for stronger collaboration with organisations such as OGTAN and academia to develop indigenous technical competence.

He also pointed to Nigeria’s ageing brownfield assets, some of which have been operating for decades, as presenting a different set of technical and operational challenges. In such circumstances, collaboration becomes even more important because the industry must continuously develop people capable of managing ageing infrastructure while maintaining safety and production performance.

For future projects, Kalejaiye argued that operators must be equally deliberate. He pointed to previous major projects where workforce development was built into project execution and urged the industry to adopt similar approaches as new investments emerge.

This, he said, should go beyond training workers for the immediate requirements of individual projects. Policy frameworks should encourage operators to develop skills beyond their immediate manpower needs so that the wider Nigerian oil and gas industry benefits from the resulting talent pool.

The position dovetails with concerns raised by NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Ogbe, who said Nigeria had effectively lost almost 15 years of investment and consequently missed an entire generation of opportunities to develop industry-ready graduates. With renewed investment optimism generated by the policies and executive orders of President Bola Tinubu, Ogbe said workforce development had become an urgent priority.

But the operators’ argument goes beyond simply producing more trained Nigerians. It is about ensuring that Human Capacity Development delivers measurable operational value.

The Warri discussions exposed a widening gap between certification and competence, with concerns that some training participants complete programmes primarily to obtain certificates rather than acquire the practical capabilities demanded by operators.

For operators, closing that gap will require closer involvement in determining what is taught, where training takes place and how competence is measured. It will also require greater emphasis on field experience, apprenticeships, exposure to actual projects and continuous professional development.

Kalejaiye’s intervention ultimately places Nigerian Content at the intersection of regulation and operational necessity. The industry’s next challenge is not simply to demonstrate compliance with the NOGICD Act, but to ensure that the investments mandated under the policy produce a workforce capable of delivering safer operations, higher reliability, better cost performance and sustainable production.

As Nigeria moves toward another potential wave of petroleum investment, the operator’s message from Warri is clear: Nigerian Content will deliver its full economic value only when human capacity is treated not as a statutory obligation, but as a strategic investment in the industry’s ability to operate, grow and compete.