NLNG Train 7 Builds Major Skills Pipeline as 331 Trainees Graduate

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Nigeria’s ambition to build a competitive gas economy has received a major boost as 331 young Nigerians graduated from the NLNG Train 7 Human Capital Development (HCD) Basic Training Programme, a statutory Nigerian Content requirement designed to strengthen the country’s technical workforce and reduce dependence on expatriate labour.

Speaking at the closeout ceremony in Port Harcourt, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations & Sustainable Development, Dr. Sophia Horsfall, said the company’s aggressive investment in human capital was “not charity, but a business decision anchored on Nigeria’s economic future.”

“The most valuable of all capital is human capita. For us at NLNG, investing in people is not just corporate responsibility it is a catalyst for a thriving economy and a sustainable future,”Horsfall declared.

She noted that the Train 7 HCD Programme mandated under the NOGICD Act (2010) is a strategic pillar of NLNG’s Nigerian Content Plan and “a worthwhile investment in the future of our country and our industry.”

According to her, the programme has already proven its economic importance.

“From inception to date, Train 7 has created over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. It has also delivered more than 70 million safe man-hours without Lost Time Injury, while enabling massive technology transfer to Nigerians at all levels.”

The Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the General Manager, Human Capital Development, Mr. Esueme Kikile, said the programme was a model for how Nigerian Content could directly support long-term economic growth.

“The HCD component of the Train 7 Project is a testament to the successful implementation of our Human Capital Development Guidelines, 2020. It is deliberately designed to secure a sustainable talent pipeline for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.”

He stressed that Train 7, one of Africa’s biggest gas infrastructure projects, was reshaping Nigeria’s technical capacity landscape.

“This project has not only created jobs; it is grooming young Nigerians with advanced technical and managerial competencies needed to drive the future of the gas sector,” he added.

The graduating Batch A trainees were selected from 848 applicants on the NCDMB NOGIC JQS portal and underwent a structured year-long curriculum that combined classroom instruction, professional certifications and hands-on training on a live LNG facility.

Their training covered: Engineering, ICT, Welding and Fabrication, Marine and Offshore Services, Quality Management Systems, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), Facility Management and Maintenance, and Health, Safety & Environment (HSE).

Trainees also received healthcare coverage, mentorship, laptops with licensed software, housing and feeding allowances.

NLNG Train 7 Project Director, Ali Uwais, said was not just about producing technicians, but building globally competitive professionals.

He urged the graduates to see themselves as the next generation of energy sector leaders.

“The world is your oyster. Use these skills to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and national development,” he charged.

The Train 7 Project is also unlocking new industrial capacity across the country.

Uwais highlighted the inauguration of a 10,000-ton-per-annum galvanising plant in Okrika, built by Daewoo Engineering, as one of several project-linked achievements increasing Nigeria’s galvanising capacity to over 180,000 tons annually.

“Train 7 is a blueprint for sustainable industrial growth,” he said.

In a vote of thanks, NLNG’s Nigerian Content Manager, Dagogo Buowari, described the collaboration between NCDMB and NLNG as exemplary.

“Our partnership is the gold standard for regulator-operator relationship,” Buowari said. “HCD facilitates societal transformation and builds sustainable development.”

It was observed at the event that 30 exceptional trainees received awards of excellence and cash prizes.