Energy Summit: Stakeholders Task PENGASSAN On Innovation, Skills

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has been advised by oil and gas professionals to embrace innovation, business development, technology adoption, and skill acquisition to benefit from the shift to a cleaner energy source.

The experts made the call at the first Annual PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit 2022, with the theme "Energy Transition and its Effect on Workforce in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Sector," on Monday in Abuja.

In light of the energy transformation, Dr Bala Wunti, Group General Manager of National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), emphasised the need for PENGASSAN's personnel to stay relevant for the difficult future.

Wunti spoke as the primary panellist on the topic of "Positioning the Nigerian Energy Industry and Its Workforce for the Future."

Wunti urged the association to work to improve its knowledge of, among other things, problem-solving approaches, media and IT literacy, and business advancements.

“The future starts today, and because it starts today, you need to secure your place, recreate yourselves and understand what tomorrow holds for us.

“With the combination of Innovation, technology, expertise and trust, you have secured your position into the global energy future leaders,” he said.

He counselled the group to take personal responsibility for their own growth and learning.

He stated that Nigeria had already made plans to achieve energy sufficiency by 2026 and net-zero emissions by 2060, stressing the necessity to strike a compromise between these two issues.

Everyone wants energy, and no one wants emissions, but he claimed that without the usage of fossil fuels, we would not be able to achieve that degree of energy security.

He bemoaned the fact that dirty coal was once again in business while fossil fuels were treated unfairly and lacked funding.

He further pointed out that the Ukraine-Russian war has caused many changes in the industry.

Larger economies, according to Wunti, are giving the energy transition priority over concerns about climate change.

He claimed that in order to meet market demand, it may be necessary to draw in investments and pass laws that would make it possible for the energy sector to transition, strike a balance, and guarantee achievement without jeopardising energy security.

In light of the energy transformation, according to Evi Ifekwe, Executive General Manager of Human Resources at Total Energies, 78 million employment will be generated.

Ifekwe stated that in order for the PENGASSAN workforce to be well-positioned, they must incorporate research and new methods of learning about future energy as well as technology and entrepreneurial abilities.

Jide Adebulehin, General Manager, Strategy Planning and Documentation, at Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), also spoke during the panel discussion.

He stated that the organisation was working to include more training, retraining, and courses in tertiary institutions' curricula in line with the energy transition.

The curriculum in the schools would be revised to meet the professions and training required, he said, in partnership with stakeholders in the postsecondary institutions.

In an earlier opening statement, Festus Osifo, National President of PENGASSAN, stated that the call for action in light of the energy transition had caused several oil and gas companies to transition to energy companies to better suit the realities of the time.

As a result, these companies moved their investments to renewable energy-related projects.

According to Osifo, the majority of these investments were used for research and development into various energy sources, including wind, solar, hydrogen, hydro biomass, and biofuels.

He stated that against this backdrop, the conference was planned with the goal of exploring the best ways to navigate the shift and how it would affect the workforce.

“We hope that the summit will reveal what the workforce in the oil and gas industry will do to remain relevant tomorrow, the new skills and training needed and collaborations required with the government in achieving a smooth transition.

“The summit will still incorporate expert discussions on crude oil theft and contract staffing in the industry and how women can optimally impact the industry to the benefit of all," he said.