Skills Gap Threatens Nigeria Oil Sector Growth, Says NUPRC Amid Industry Transition

Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is facing a growing threat that could slow its long-term development—not a shortage of crude oil, but a widening skills gap among industry professionals. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has raised concerns that the lack of skilled manpower may undermine the sector’s ability to sustain growth.

The warning was issued by the Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, during a meeting with the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) in Abuja. She urged indigenous oil companies to urgently invest in human capital development, warning that failure to do so could weaken both individual firms and Nigeria’s global energy standing.

Eyesan noted that the increasing exit of international oil companies has shifted more responsibility to local operators, making capacity development even more critical. She stressed that global investors assess Nigeria’s oil sector as a whole, meaning poor industry-wide standards could affect investor confidence across the board.

According to her, human capital development must become a priority, as weak technical capacity could create systemic challenges. She also called on the IPPG to uphold strict operational standards, enforce discipline among members, and emulate the best practices previously maintained by multinational oil companies.

Reaffirming regulatory support, Eyesan highlighted ongoing reforms at the commission, including a recent transition to a paperless system aimed at improving efficiency and transparency. Industry stakeholders, including IPPG Chairman Adegbite Falade, commended the NUPRC’s leadership and pledged continued collaboration to support Nigeria’s energy ambitions amid the sector’s ongoing transformation.

source: punch