Six young engineers shortlisted from the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS) portal of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) last week in Port Harcourt commenced a 12-month Human Capital Development (HCD) Training programme for provision of Community Electrification Interdependency Project tagged Opukushi Transmission Node.
The training, which entails supervised classroom and practical work experience with Hommaston Training Institute, a member of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), will focus on key skill areas approved by the NCDMB, namely, Civil and Structural Engineering Design, Electrical and Instrumentation Engineering Design, Onshore Survey, 2D Drafting and 3D Modelling (Electrical and Instrumentation), and 2D Drafting and 3D Modelling (Civil and Structural).
Also to be covered in the Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and Beam Energy Limited HCD Training, are soft skills, such as Technical Safety, Entrepreneurship and Employability Skills, and Digital Literacy. Under Digital Literacy, trainees will be equipped with essential computer and digital skills required for modern engineering and business environments.
In an address at the kick-off ceremony, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the gathering was “a celebration of the transformative impact of the Board’s project-based Human Capital Development (HCD) initiative,” which aims to build capacity and close critical knowledge gaps in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
He told the trainees that the tools and knowledge they would acquire have to be viewed as “instruments for value creation intended to be used with purpose, diligence, and integrity.” According to him, “Whether in maintenance yards, project sites, control rooms, or executive meetings,” they should carry the torch of excellence and shine as proud ambassadors of the NCDMB.
The Executive Secretary, who was represented by the Manager, HCD, Mrs Tarilate Teide-Bribena, pointed out that the young engineers “embody the hope and future of the [oil and gas] industry and of Nigeria,” and that the sector urgently needs fresh talent to fill the void left by migration and the retirement of experienced workers.
The training, he emphasised, was about preparing them not only as employees but as industrialists, change agents, and champions of excellence, while urging them to demonstrate discipline, focus, and resilience throughout their internship.
He commended Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and Beam Energy Limited for being “a ladder for the growth of Nigerian Content.”
In an opening remark, the Project Manager, Beam Energy Limited, Mr. Adedayo Adeleke, advised the trainees to take advantage of the training programme to better their lot, noting that the opportunity they have is unavailable to many others. He assured them that they would be exposed to the on-site training and associated benefits that the programme entails.
Mr. Adeleke urged the trainers, Hommaston Limited, to ensure that the depth and details the trainees need to become well equipped and to add value to the industry are provided.
He thanked the NCDMB for its support to his company in carrying out its HCD programmes.
A representative of Renaissance Africa Energy, Mr. Sam Uwaezwoke, charged the trainees to make the investment in their training count, assuring them that the three organisations collaborating in their training, namely, the NCDMB, Renaissance, and Beam, are ever prepared to support them to achieve the aims of the programme. He said it would be helpful to them if everyone had a tally book to take notes on critical elements of their classroom and hands-on training.
He expressed gratitude to the Board for its partnership in the capacity building initiatives of his company.
In closing remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Hommaston Limited, Dr. Joseph Carew, assured that his company would ensure that the NCDMB, Renaissance and Beam that have demonstrated so much trust for his company have their expectations met and exceeded. He thanked them for choosing Beam as a partner in accomplishing compliance requirements of the industry
