Skills, Talent Key To Nigeria’s Energy Future – NIES 2026 Stakeholders
Human Capital Takes Centre Stage at NIES 2026
STAKEHOLDERS at the 2026 Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) in Abuja have stressed that sustained investment in human capital and skills development is critical to the survival and growth of Nigeria’s oil, gas and broader energy sector.
The emphasis emerged during a plenary session held under the sub-theme, “Talent, Leadership and Narrative for Nigeria and Africa’s 2050 Energy Goals.” Speakers highlighted industry-driven training, youth development and stronger collaboration between academia and industry as essential pillars for achieving long-term energy security.
PTI’s Legacy in Industry-Focused Training
Speaking at the session, the Principal and Chief Executive of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Dr. Samuel Onoji, traced the institute’s roots to Nigeria’s early oil boom years and its admission into the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1971.
According to Onoji, PTI was established to reduce heavy dependence on expatriates by producing skilled local manpower tailored specifically to industry needs.
“PTI was deliberately designed as a specialised, industry-driven institution, not a conventional polytechnic or university,” he said.
He disclosed that over 50,000 technicians, technologists and professionals trained by PTI currently occupy strategic positions across Nigeria’s energy value chain.
“A good number of people here today are products of PTI. That is why we describe PTI as the grandfather of oil and gas training in Nigeria,” Onoji added.
Youth Training and Energy Security
Onoji stressed that youth training is central to Africa’s energy security, especially as natural gas increasingly serves as a transition fuel.
With Africa holding about 600 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves—Nigeria accounting for nearly one-third—he warned that failure to train young people could create long-term capacity gaps.
He noted that PTI’s facilities include a functional drilling rig, advanced simulators, offshore and rescue training units, and partnerships with international institutions, including those in Scotland.
NNPC Aligns Talent Strategy with Commercial Goals
Also speaking, Ms. Sophia Mbakwe, Executive Vice President, Business Services at NNPC Ltd., explained that the company’s talent strategy is fully aligned with its commercial mandate under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
She said NNPC employs a “build, buy and borrow” approach that combines experienced professionals with emerging young talent, while also leveraging partnerships to acquire specialised skills.
While technical competence remains vital, Mbakwe said soft skills such as negotiation, communication, adaptability and emotional intelligence have become increasingly important in a volatile global energy market.
She added that talent development is now embedded within NNPC’s performance framework as a driver of profitability, sustainability and investor confidence.
Bridging the Academia–Industry Divide
Dr. Yetunde Aladeitan, National Chairman of NIPeTE and Associate Professor at the University of Abuja, identified funding limitations, policy fragmentation and curriculum misalignment as key barriers weakening the research-to-industry pipeline.
She criticised academic systems that reward publication volume over innovation and called for research collaboration that directly addresses industry challenges.
The speakers agreed that Nigeria’s energy transition will only succeed through deliberate investment in people, skills and collaborative knowledge development.
