Nigeria faces energy skills gap amid offshore investment potential

Nigeria faces a critical shortage of technical talent required to support its energy sector, according to officials from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The NNPC warned that a widening skills gap, driven by the global energy transition, digitalization, and the Petroleum Industry Act, risks leaving the country unable to participate effectively in the emerging energy economy.

Key challenges identified include an aging workforce, brain drain, and a disconnect between academic training and industry requirements. At a human resources conference, NNPC Chief Human Resources Officer Kazachiyang Nuhu emphasized the need to reskill workers to handle new technologies like artificial intelligence and automation.

Simultaneously, the NUPRC noted that new incentives for offshore projects could attract $50 billion in investment. However, NUPRC Chief Executive Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan highlighted that upskilling is essential to capitalize on these opportunities. While Nigeria aims to reach 3 million barrels per day of oil production by 2030, annual industry investments have declined significantly from $26 billion in 2014 to approximately $2 billion recently.