Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited (OERNL), a subsidiary of Oando Plc, has commenced a 12-month drilling engineering training programme for young Nigerians in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Hilong Oil Service & Engineering Nigeria Limited.
The human capacity development programme, which commenced on September 4, 2026, in Port Harcourt, is designed to equip participants with specialised drilling skills and practical experience as indigenous companies take on greater ownership and operational responsibilities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The programme will combine classroom instruction with structured on-the-job training, with participants expected to gain exposure to the practical demands of drilling and other petroleum operations.
OERNL said the initiative was aimed at developing a pipeline of Nigerian technical professionals who could support the safe, efficient and sustainable operation of oil and gas assets.
The participants will receive training in Basic Drilling Engineering Operations, Well Planning and Design, Measurement While Drilling (MWD), Logging While Drilling (LWD), drilling rig operations and well-log data analytics.
The programme will also include entrepreneurship, business management and digital skills, which the company said would broaden the participants’ ability to pursue opportunities across the energy value chain.
A key feature of the programme is its connection to an actual oilfield operation. The training is linked to the provision of turnkey Joint Venture (JV) services for workover and recompletion of the Obiafu 44 well, allowing the participants to complement classroom learning with practical industry exposure.
Speaking to the participants, Manager, Nigerian Content Division, Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited, Deji Agboola, said the programme offered them an opportunity to contribute to the development of the country’s oil and gas industry.
“Oando, NCDMB, and Hilong have given you an opportunity of a lifetime, to play a role in the development of Nigeria. Being here equips you with the capacity to contribute meaningfully to the future of the oil and gas industry, as well as the country,” he said.
The training comes amid a shift in Nigeria’s petroleum industry, with indigenous companies increasingly taking over ownership and operations of assets previously held by international oil companies.
Oando said the development made investment in technical manpower increasingly important, arguing that greater indigenous ownership must be matched by the availability of Nigerians with the expertise required to operate the assets.
The company also identified knowledge transfer and succession planning as critical to sustaining the industry’s technical capacity, particularly as experienced professionals gradually exit the workforce.
It said the programme was part of its commitment to developing Nigerian technical talent while creating pathways for young Nigerians, particularly those from host communities, to acquire industry-relevant skills and practical experience.
Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Board’s General Manager, Human Capacity Development, Mrs Alexis Emelle, described the initiative as an investment in the participants and the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The collaboration between OERNL, NCDMB and Hilong, the company said, is expected to expose the beneficiaries to the operational environment while helping to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical competence.
The programme also aligns with the Nigerian Content objective of ensuring that communities and Nigerians derive greater value from activities within the oil and gas industry through access to skills, employment and opportunities across the energy value chain.
