Nigeria’s Energy Sustainability Hinges on Human Capital – TotalEnergies’ Bandele

…Company’s graduate programme at UniPort producing skilled workforce for oil and gas sector

Nigeria’s long-term energy sustainability depends not only on hydrocarbons but also on strategic investment in human capital, according to Victor Bandele, Deputy Managing Director, Deepwater Asset, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria.

Bandele made this assertion while speaking on the panel theme “Governance and Structuring Human Resources Strategy for a Sustainable Energy Future” at the 2025 Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) in Lagos.

Human Resource Development as a Strategic Pillar
Bandele highlighted the company’s 63-year presence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, noting that one of the key pillars sustaining its operations is the deliberate focus on human resource development.

Central to this commitment is the Institute of Petroleum and Energy Studies (IPES) graduate trainee programme, run in partnership with the University of Port Harcourt. The initiative, he explained, is designed to build local capacity by equipping Nigerian youths with technical and professional skills for the oil and gas sector.

“Over the years, TotalEnergies has kept the IPES alive through consistent financial sponsorship,” Bandele said. “All our directors serve as mentors at the institute, where graduates are trained to professional standards. About 40 graduates currently work with TotalEnergies, while many others are employed across Nigeria’s oil and gas sector — and some have even gone on to work as expatriates abroad.”

He emphasised that sustainability in energy operations must integrate people, not just technology and resources. “We believe so much in people, and we continuously adapt what we teach at IPES to address today’s energy challenges while preparing for tomorrow’s. Our educational policies must be tied to energy transition because the skills of today will not necessarily be the skills required tomorrow.”

Adapting Knowledge for the Future
Bandele argued that sustainability requires more than relying on existing expertise: “We cannot depend on old knowledge alone. We must reconfigure and apply past knowledge to meet future challenges. This is why training young people must be at the heart of national development, and why the oil and gas industry must look inward to ensure the youth are carried along.”

Leadership and Collaboration for Energy Transition
Speaking earlier, the Chairperson of the SPE Nigeria Council, Engr. Amina Danmadami, underscored the importance of bold leadership in shaping Nigeria’s energy future.

“Nigeria is at a crossroads,” she said. “The energy landscape must be reshaped through intentional leadership. The future is not fixed — it will be defined by strategic investments, inclusive governance, and collaboration across all stakeholder groups.”

Danmadami called for a holistic approach that integrates technology, supply chain efficiency, human capital, and policy reforms, stressing that national and global engagement will be critical to achieving sustainable outcomes.

A Strategic Industry Gathering
The 2025 edition of SPE NAICE served as a platform for technical exchange, policy dialogue, and strategic foresight. The conference featured two high-level leadership panels, over 80 exhibiting companies, and multiple technical tracks focused on gas monetisation, pipeline reliability, infrastructure optimisation, and digital transformation.

Special attention was given to national priorities, including asset divestment, local capacity development, and environmental stewardship. The conference theme, “Building a Sustainable Energy Future: Leveraging Technology, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Policy,” brought together regulators, upstream/midstream/downstream operators, financiers, interest groups, the media, and industry observers from across Nigeria and beyond.