NCDMB Unveils Landmark Digitalization Training to Empower 3,700 Nigerian Youths

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has announced the launch of a nationwide digitalization training programme aimed at equipping 3,700 Nigerian youths with cutting-edge technological skills to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving industries.

The three-year initiative, tagged the NCDMB Digitalization Initiative (NDI), will expose young Nigerians across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to critical digital competencies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Robotics, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Drones, and Blockchain applications.

Speaking on the initiative, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, noted that the oil and gas sector, alongside its linkages, has increasingly embraced advanced technologies as part of global efforts to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and minimize carbon emissions.

“The adoption of digitisation enables productivity improvements, cost optimisation, low-carbon operations, and remote functionality. It also drives leaner organisational structures, preventive facility management, and business process automation,” Ogbe explained.

He reiterated the Board’s commitment to ensuring that the Nigerian oil and gas industry supply chain remains competitive and relevant in the face of technological disruptions and the demands of the global energy transition.

On his part, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, NCDMB’s Director of Corporate Services, stressed that the training programme is deliberately targeted at young people under 35 years old. According to him, the Board has directed its resources toward high-impact training areas that will rapidly build digital capacity, generate sustainable value, and prepare Nigerian youths for leadership roles in critical sectors.

“Our goal is to ensure that Nigerians are not just consumers of technology, but active participants in designing, developing, and deploying digital solutions,” Halilu said.

Training Rollout and Selection Process

The NDI training will kick off with a pilot phase involving 100 participants, who will be selected from the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Joint Qualification System (NOGIC JQS) portal—the official repository of human and material capacities in the industry.

Prospective candidates will undergo pre-selection tests scheduled across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as follows:

• South East – Umuahia (September 30)

• South South – Warri (October 3)

• South West – Lagos (October 6)

• North East – Kaduna (October 6)

• North Central – Minna (October 9)

• North West – Taraba (October 9)

These exercises will serve as the first step in what the Board describes as a “transformative journey” for Nigerian youths, creating a new generation of digitally empowered professionals capable of meeting global energy and industrial demands.

Broader Vision

The NCDMB Digitalization Initiative is part of the Board’s broader mandate to build capacity, create employment, and ensure Nigerians play critical roles in the oil and gas industry and its expanding value chains. By strategically focusing on emerging digital skills, the Board aims to prepare the country’s youth population for opportunities both within and beyond the oil and gas sector.

Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, GM Corporate Communications of NCDMB, in a statement, described the programme as a landmark investment in Nigeria’s human capital, adding that its long-term benefits will extend beyond industry borders to national development.