By Oke Peter
A total of 70 Nigerian youths with backgrounds in engineering, technology and geosciences on Thursday completed the 12-month Train 7 Human Capital Development (HCD) Basic Training Programme of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, Bonny, obtaining international certifications in diverse fields relevant to the oil and gas industry and its linkage sectors, including the Level 3 Proficiency of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) United Kingdom.
Under the programme, which had rigorous classroom and on-the-job training on a live LNG (Train 7) Project, trainees had firsthand information in Google data analytics professional certification and project management fundamentals, and dwelt extensively on data visualisation, spreadsheet management, dashboard reporting, business analytics concepts, data-driven decision-making, working at heights, project life cycle management, planning and scheduling, team coordination, risk management fundamentals, and project execution principles.
In a keynote address at the close-out ceremony at Heliconia Park Hotel, Port Harcourt, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said NCDMB and NLNG are proud of the trainees who have become highly knowledgeable and capable of competing locally and globally in the oil and gas industry and other critical economic sectors.
He commended the NLNG Limited for its enormous contributions to capacity building, noting that the HCD component of the multibillion-dollar Train 7 Project is “a testament to the successful implementation of the Board’s Human Capital Development Guideline 2020, which ensures that major oil and gas projects deliberately contribute to the training and empowerment of Nigerians.”
According to the Executive Secretary, who was represented by the General Manager, HCD, Ms. Alexis Emelle, “The Train 7 Project, being one of the largest gas infrastructure developments in Africa, has not only created jobs [for thousands of Nigerians] but also provided a platform to groom young Nigerians with advanced technical and managerial competencies,” while also exposing them to “emerging technologies critical to the future of the industry.”
He congratulated the outgoing trainees on their successful completion of the HCD programme, urging them to leverage the opportunities before them, continuously improve themselves, and “remain open to innovations that will shape the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.”
To NLNG and all other partner companies and training organisations, he said their “investments in human capital development continue to make a difference in strengthening local capacity and deepening in-country value retention.”
In an opening remark, the General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development of the NLNG, Dr. Sophia Horsfall, expressed profound appreciation to the NCDMB for “partnering with NLNG towards navigating the complexities of local capacity building, with a view to achieving the highest standards of national impact.” She said the NCDMB “institutionalized this capacity building and empowerment opportunity for our youths.”
According to her, “The success of this second batch of 70 young graduates, following closely on the heels of the first batch that graduated in November 2025, demonstrates a consistent replicable model of excellence that NLNG and NCDMB are proud of.”
She also commended NLNG’s Train 7 Project Team “for managing the technical demands of a world-class project while simultaneously prioritizing and mentoring the development” of the second batch of trainees. She was similarly thankful to the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) team, whom she described as “custodians of training standards,” for ensuring that HCD programmes provided the required competencies.
In a vote of thanks, Mr. Joshua Anemeje of the NLNG, congratulated the outgoing trainees on their discipline and dedication throughout the HCD programme, while expressing the hope that they too would create opportunities for younger generations of citizens. He thanked the NCDMB and trainers for all the support received.
