KEY POINTS
- OGTAN will honor NCDMB, TotalEnergies, NLNG, and other industry leaders at its Lagos awards on Sept. 12.
- Lifetime award goes to Dr. Ernest Nwapa, pioneer of Nigeria’s local content board.
- Ceremony underscores need for stronger training, skills development, and gender diversity in the oil and gas sector.
As the organisation gets ready to hold its annual awards in Lagos, Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Trainers Association, OGTAN, will honor some of the most significant organizations and leaders in the sector this month.
The ceremony, which is set for September 12, aims to highlight businesses and individuals who have significantly contributed to knowledge transfer, training, and the creation of local content in Africa’s largest energy market.
Among the recipients of the Government Partner of the Year award is the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Nigerian LNG Limited is scheduled to receive the Best Corporate Training Partner award, while energy major TotalEnergies will receive the Young Professional Development award. Additionally, the Petroleum Training Institute will receive recognition for excellence in training in oil and gas.
Dr. Ernest Nwapa, the first executive secretary of NCDMB, will receive lifetime honors for his contribution to the institutionalization of Nigeria’s local content framework. The Indigenous Human Capacity Development Company of the Year award went to Aradel Holdings Plc and First Exploration & Petroleum Development Company, while Pana Holdings Limited and Oilserv Limited were named Affiliates of the Year.
Training and Local Content at the Core of Industry Growth
For an industry still adapting to global energy transitions and growing local expectations, the forthcoming awards highlight how important skills development and capacity building have become. The recognition, according to OGTAN President Christopher Osarumwense, is more than just symbolic; it emphasizes how urgently operating businesses, service providers, and governmental organizations must continue to invest in personnel and training programs that will maintain the sector’s competitiveness.
The Women in Energy Leadership award will be given to Mrs. Funmi Ogbue, the CEO of Zigma Energy and the original president of the Women in Energy Network, demonstrating the importance of women’s leadership. The increasing importance of gender diversity in forming the industry’s future workforce is reflected in her recognition.
Osarumwense asserts that OGTAN is still dedicated to recognizing and honoring those involved in actively bolstering Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. “This event highlights the necessity for the petroleum industry’s training segment to develop the appropriate set of necessary skills needed to strengthen operating companies, service providers, and government institutions,” he stated.
It is anticipated that important players from the energy value chain will attend the Lagos ceremony, solidifying OGTAN’s position as a catalyst for the growth of human capital in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
