The Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) has urged indigenous oil and gas companies to invest more in workforce training, technical expertise and equipment to help Nigeria achieve its target of producing three million barrels of crude oil per day.
PETAN Chairman, Wole Ogunsanya, made the call on Monday, October 26, at the association’s media roundtable in Lagos, warning that the transfer of oil and gas assets from international oil companies to Nigerian operators has created an urgent need to develop the next generation of industry professionals.
Ogunsanya said Nigeria faces a growing skills gap as experienced workers approach retirement while younger professionals require practical training to operate increasingly complex oil and gas assets.
He noted that multinational companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron and TotalEnergies had traditionally provided Nigerian professionals with technical training and international work experience. However, he questioned whether indigenous operators taking over some of these assets would sustain similar training programmes.
“Who is going to train the Nigerians?” he asked, stressing that local companies must take greater responsibility for developing the engineers and technicians needed to sustain production.
Ogunsanya said PETAN recruits nearly 100 engineers every two years through its internship programme, with more than 60 per cent reportedly absorbed by member companies after completing the training. The association is also working with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on human-capacity development initiatives.
He disclosed plans to establish a training centre in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, equipped with facilities such as drilling rigs to provide practical training for Nigerian professionals. The initiative is intended to expand access to specialised skills in drilling, pipeline installation, fabrication, welding and offshore operations.
Beyond training, the PETAN chairman backed the Federal Government’s drill-or-drop policy, which seeks to encourage operators to develop oil assets or risk losing their licences. He said developing existing discoveries and increasing drilling activity could help raise production, create work for local service companies and support the national output target.
Ogunsanya argued that some discovered oil resources could be brought into production more quickly through additional drilling, provided operators have the necessary investment, equipment and technical capacity.
He also highlighted the financing challenges facing indigenous oilfield service companies, saying expensive drilling equipment and limited access to funding continued to constrain their ability to execute projects and expand operations.
The association has separately estimated that Nigeria needs billions of dollars in equipment investment to support its ambition of producing three million barrels per day by 2030.
Ogunsanya also called for increased investment in gas production and distribution infrastructure, saying pipelines and reliable supplies were essential to expanding electricity generation and supporting industrial growth.
Nigeria’s production ambitions remain dependent on sustained drilling, effective development of existing assets, adequate financing and stronger technical capacity. In earlier coverage, TheDailyNewsHub examined why Nigeria’s reported oil production does not automatically translate into higher government revenue, highlighting the importance of both production volumes and the financial arrangements governing petroleum resources.
PETAN said stronger collaboration among indigenous companies, regulators, training institutions and technology providers would be necessary to expand local expertise and improve the oil and gas sector’s contribution to the economy.