NCDMB trains 50 Nigerian youths to boost oil sector manpower

Fifty youths from the Niger Delta region have graduated from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)-sponsored Crane Operations Operator Level I and II training programme aimed at boosting indigenous capacity in the oil and gas industry.

The graduates completed the four-week intensive programme organised by Zigma Limited, where they received classroom instruction and practical, hands-on experience in crane operations.

The curriculum covered crane operating principles, lifting operations, equipment inspection, load-handling techniques, signalling and communication, hazard identification, risk assessment, and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) best practices.

Participants were also trained in professionalism, discipline, teamwork and compliance with industry standards, while certificates were presented to the beneficiaries.

In his remarks, the representative of the NCDMB, Halvin Okonma, said the board remains committed to strengthening the capacity of Nigerians to meet the manpower demands of the expanding oil and gas industry.

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He explained that the initiative is designed to ensure that qualified Nigerians are available to fill skilled positions whenever international and indigenous companies required competent personnel.

“NCDMB has always been an organisation that works to increase the capacity of Nigerians in the oil and gas industry. As we all know, the industry is a growing one, and every year it gets bigger.

“Our aim and goal with programmes like this is to increase the skill sets of Nigerian citizens. So, when foreign companies come into Nigeria and want to employ workers, we have well-skilled Nigerians who can take on these jobs and deliver excellently.

“I will advise all participants to visit the NCDMB website and register so that once job opportunities arise in the oil and gas sector, they will be notified,” he said.

Earlier in her remarks, the Chief Operating Officer of Zigma Limited, Mrs Ojinika Mba-Kalu, who represented the Managing Director, Mrs Funmi Ogbue, described the programme as a critical investment in Nigeria’s human capital and the future of the oil and gas industry.

She said empowering the youth is essential to increasing indigenous participation in the sector, adding that the field readiness training, sponsored by the NCDMB, was highly competitive.

She said more than 365 applicants underwent screening, while about 65 were interviewed before 50 participants were selected for the month-long practical training programme.

She noted that beneficiaries also received stipends throughout the training.

Mba-Kalu described the graduation as more than the completion of a training exercise, saying it represented the celebration of transformation, discipline and opportunity.

“It is a testament to what can be achieved when institutions, industry and individuals unite around a common purpose of building the capacity of Nigerians to compete, excel and lead in our nation’s oil and gas industry,” she said.

She added that while infrastructure could build industries, skilled professionals build nations, stressing that the training equipped participants with technical competence, innovation, discipline and a strong safety culture.

Congratulating the graduates, she urged them to uphold professionalism, integrity and safety in their careers.

“As you receive your certificates today, remember they represent more than the successful completion of a course. They symbolise responsibility. Every workplace you enter and every decision you make must reflect the professionalism and safety culture you have acquired during this programme.

“This is an all-important assignment because the importance of ensuring that Nigerian youths are empowered cannot be overemphasised. This field readiness training is an initiative of the NCDMB. It is usually competitive and is drawn from a pool of young Nigerians who are hungry for growth.

“Through this process, many young Nigerians are given the opportunity to upskill and secure employment in leading organisations, especially in the oil and gas sector.

“For this particular training, it was a rigorous process. More than 365 applicants underwent screening, about 65 were interviewed, and today we are graduating 50 of them after one month of intensive practical training. This is an NCDMB-sponsored programme,” Mba-Kalu

Speaking on behalf of the participants, Njieze Evidence commended the NCDMB and Zigma Limited for providing the opportunity to acquire practical industry skills.

He said the programme had equipped him with the knowledge and competence to operate cranes safely, handle and lift loads effectively, and understand critical safety procedures.