By Onu Okorie
Nigeria LNG Limited NLNG has disclosed that about 401 participants have now benefited from the Human Capacity Development HCD Basic Training Programme under it’s Train 7 Project.
This was part of statement made available to the media yesterday in Abuja by the NLNG, after the graduation of 70 young professionals from the initiative’s second batch.
The statement further noted that the graduation marked the completion of an intensive one-year training programme and it underscores efforts by NLNG and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board NCDMB to strengthen Nigeria’s skilled workforce for the oil and gas industry.
According to NLNG the latest graduates received specialised training in Data Analysis and Supply Chain Management, alongside practical exposure in Health, Safety and Environment HSE, Business Management, Information Technology, Document Management, Nigerian Content awareness, and on-the-job training.
Speaking at the close-out ceremony, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, Sophia Horsfall, described the successful completion of the programme as evidence of the value of sustained investment in human capital development.
She said the graduates had been equipped not only with technical knowledge but also with the discipline and character needed to excel in their careers.
“You started this journey as candidates, and today, we are showing you off as professionals. From here, I urge you to continue to demonstrate the discipline you have learnt and never forget that you are the dividends of a national investment,” Horsfall said.
The Project Director of the NLNG Train 7 Project, Engr. Ali Uwais, said the programme reflected the strength of the partnership between NLNG and NCDMB in addressing critical skills shortages within the oil and gas sector.
He noted that training 401 participants across the two batches had significantly increased Nigeria’s pool of industry-ready professionals and encouraged the graduates to embrace innovation and continuous learning as technology reshapes the energy industry.
“The success of this programme is a testament to the effective collaboration of NCDMB and NLNG to close competency gaps in relevant industry skills,” Uwais stated.
He also commended the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria OGTAN for maintaining high training standards and ensuring participants acquired the competencies required by the industry.
Also the representative of the Executive Secretary of NCDMB and the Board’s General Manager, Human Capacity Development, Alexis Emelle, said the HCD component of the Train 7 Project was a practical implementation of the Human Capital Development Guideline 2020, which mandates major oil and gas projects to support the training and empowerment of Nigerians.
Emelle described the Train 7 Project as one of Africa’s largest gas infrastructure developments, noting that beyond creating employment opportunities, it had become a platform for developing young Nigerians with advanced technical and managerial skills.
She explained that the trainees gained hands-on experience on a live LNG project, complementing their academic knowledge with practical exposure to specialised technical disciplines, project management, health and safety practices, and emerging technologies shaping the future of the industry.
The programme is expected to further enhance local content participation across Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain by producing skilled professionals in technical, safety, business and other critical disciplines needed to support the sector’s growth..