Nigeria’s oil and gas industry may face a new challenge as investment begins to return to the sector: a shortage of skilled professionals to handle the projects.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has called for urgent efforts to rebuild the country’s technical and commercial workforce as activities increase across the upstream sector.
Eyesan said Nigeria’s oil and gas investment dropped sharply over the years, falling from about $24 billion in 2014 to roughly $2 billion in 2023. The more than 90 percent decline affected not only projects and exploration but also the people working in the industry.
According to her, many geoscientists were among the first professionals to leave when companies began reducing spending. Petroleum engineers were also affected as the downturn continued, with some losing their jobs while others were moved from expansion projects to basic maintenance roles.
However, Eyesan said the situation is now changing as renewed investment and new projects create demand for highly skilled workers.
She made the remarks during a panel session on local content and human capital development at the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria Human Capacity Development Conference and Expo held at the Petroleum Training Institute in Effurun, Delta State.
Eyesan warned that Nigeria must prepare its workforce before investment accelerates further. Without enough qualified professionals, the country could struggle to execute complex oil and gas projects despite having the capital and resources.
She also stressed that the skills needed in today’s oil industry are different from those required in the past.
According to her, training programmes must now include areas such as advanced geoscience, digital operations, digital drilling, automation, data analysis and digital twins.
Modern oil projects increasingly depend on technology to analyse underground formations, monitor operations, improve drilling and make investment decisions. This means Nigerian professionals must be prepared to work with advanced digital tools.
Eyesan also called for closer cooperation between oil companies, regulators, universities and training institutions. She said Nigeria should stop waiting for companies to announce vacancies before training workers.
Instead, the country should identify the skills that will be needed in the next few years and begin developing them early.
She further argued that technical workers should have a better understanding of the business side of the industry, while commercial professionals should also understand the technical realities of oil and gas projects.
The call comes as the Federal Government introduces measures aimed at attracting fresh investment into deep offshore projects.
President Bola Tinubu recently signed the 2026 Deep Offshore Oil and Gas Projects Incentives (Tax Remission) Order, which provides tax incentives for qualifying projects that reach final investment decisions within the required period.
The government expects the incentives to help unlock major offshore investments, potentially creating jobs and business opportunities.
For Eyesan, however, attracting investment is only part of the challenge. Nigeria must also have enough skilled people to ensure that the country captures the full benefits of the next phase of oil and gas development.
