NUPRC: Offshore Investments Must Deliver Jobs, Industrial Growth in Nigeria
• NLNG’s maritime unit trains 700 seafarers, produces 272 cadets
•MCOE to make international maritime certifications available locally
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) yesterday stressed that Nigeria must ensure its growing investments in offshore oil and gas translate into jobs, technology transfer, industrial capacity and broader economic prosperity for the country.
The Commission Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, made the while delivering a lecture at the Lagos International Maritime Week 2026 and the 11th International Maritime Business-to-Business Conference and Exhibition, themed: “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence in Africa.”
Eyesan, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Captain John Tonlagha, said the development of Nigeria’s offshore petroleum resources must extend beyond hydrocarbon production to the creation of a globally competitive ecosystem of maritime services, infrastructure, technology and skills.
“The pathway before us is clear. Policy to practice must mean moving from petroleum acreage to investment; from investment to offshore projects; from projects to production; from production to maritime enterprise; and from maritime enterprise to Nigerian jobs, technology, industrial capability and sustainable economic prosperity.
“Investments alone do not automatically translate into national value. Investments must be connected to domestic capability, competitive suppliers, skills development, infrastructure and measurable performance,” she said.
Eyesan noted that deliberate policies and investments would be required to deepen the benefits of offshore activities and ensure that Nigerians and Nigerian businesses play stronger roles across the expanding value chain.
She called for increased investment in critical maritime infrastructure, including ports, ship repair facilities, fabrication yards, logistics bases, storage systems, waste management facilities and coastal transport infrastructure.
The NUPRC chief also advocated stronger participation by Nigerian companies in vessel ownership and operations, marine logistics, subsea engineering, fabrication, equipment maintenance, inspection, certification, environmental services and marine surveying.
According to her, the country must deliberately link offshore petroleum investments to the development of domestic capabilities, competitive local suppliers and a highly skilled workforce capable of supporting the industry’s growing requirements.
Eyesan further stressed the importance of environmental sustainability, warning that Nigeria’s ambition to expand its offshore petroleum activities must not come at the expense of the marine ecosystem.
“The blue economy cannot be sustainable if the marine environment is treated as an afterthought,” she said.
She noted that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 provides an enabling framework for offshore development, including provisions aimed at ensuring responsible decommissioning and abandonment of petroleum facilities.
Eyesan maintained that the ultimate measure of Nigeria’s success in developing its offshore resources should go beyond increased investment and crude oil production.
According to her, the country must also seek stronger energy security, increased Nigerian participation in maritime activities, improved protection of the marine environment and the emergence of Nigeria as a competitive offshore energy and maritime services hub for Africa.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) maritime subsidiary, Nigeria LNG Ship Management Limited (NSML), has trained hundreds of Nigerian seafarers and now employs more than 700 qualified seafarers, making it the largest employer of Nigerian seafarers, the company has said.
The Managing Director, NSML, Abdulkadir Ahmed, disclosed this in Lagos while presenting a paper titled, “Overview of the NSML Maritime Centre of Excellence: Positive Disruption in Africa’s Maritime Manpower Development,” at the 2026 Maritime Training Institute organised by the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON).
Ahmed said the company’s manpower development initiative was anchored on the NSML Maritime Centre of Excellence (MCOE), located on Bonny Island, Rivers State, which was established as a one-stop maritime research, consultancy and training institution serving Nigeria and the wider African maritime industry.
He said the centre was established against the backdrop of a persistent shortage of internationally certified maritime professionals in Africa, despite the continent’s extensive coastline and strategic position in global shipping.
According to him, aspiring African seafarers have historically faced challenges ranging from inadequate access to quality training and modern simulators to limited sea-time opportunities, accreditation constraints and a disconnect between classroom learning and actual vessel operations.
Ahmed said the MCOE had adopted an integrated approach to address the challenges by combining maritime training, simulator-based learning, sea-time development, professional certification, research, consultancy and industry collaboration.
“This integrated model has elevated maritime manpower development from a fragmented process into a structured talent pipeline capable of producing internationally competitive professionals, supporting our operations at NSML and providing a model that can be replicated suitably,” he said.
The centre, he explained, had secured several international accreditations, positioning it to provide specialised maritime qualifications within Nigeria rather than requiring professionals to travel abroad.
Ahmed said the combination of global accreditation and advanced training infrastructure had helped to democratise access to specialist maritime qualifications for Nigerian and African professionals.
The MCOE has invested in bridge and engine-room simulators as well as Dynamic Positioning systems, allowing trainees to recreate real-life vessel operations, emergency situations and complex navigational scenarios in a controlled environment.
A major component of the centre’s intervention is its Seafarers Continuous Development Programme (SCDP), which seeks to address one of the biggest barriers facing young African seafarers, access to the sea-time required to obtain Certificates of Competency (CoC).
Through partnerships with NIMASA and the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron, the programme has enabled 272 cadets to complete sea-time training, while another 54 cadets are currently either in college or onboard vessels progressing towards professional certification.
Ahmed said NSML’s Nigerianisation policy had also translated training into employment opportunities, with the company employing more than 700 seafarers as of August 2026.
He noted that the initiative was aimed at developing Nigerian maritime professionals capable of operating vessels to international standards and reducing dependence on expatriate personnel for specialised technical and operational roles.
Beyond training, the MCOE also provides research, intelligence and consultancy services covering areas such as shipbuilding supervision, commercial project evaluation, dry-docking supervision, vessel lifecycle support, and crew and vessel management advisory services.
According to Ahmed, the centre’s involvement in real-world maritime projects enables its training programmes to remain aligned with industry developments and emerging technologies.
He said the centre was increasingly emerging as a regional hub, given the breadth of its international accreditations and training infrastructure, adding that its model could be replicated across Africa to strengthen indigenous maritime capacity.
Looking ahead, Ahmed said the MCOE was pursuing an expansion project with support from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), which would increase its capacity, introduce additional courses and expand its service offerings.
The ultimate objective, he said, was to ensure that most, if not all, international maritime certifications could be obtained within Nigeria.
The Manager, Maritime Centre of Excellence, Bonny, Dr Effiong Ekanem-Attah, who also contributed to the paper, said the centre represented a major intervention in addressing Africa’s maritime manpower deficit.
He said sustainable maritime capacity development required more than conventional classroom training, stressing the importance of combining certification, technology, practical exposure, mentorship, research and industry partnerships.
The MCOE, he added, was designed to provide that ecosystem while positioning Nigerian and African professionals to participate more competitively in the global maritime economy.
