Press Release: 13:01 WAT • 15 May 2025
For decades, Nigeria's oil and gas industry was synonymous with foreign dominance—from expatriate-led engineering teams to offshore project management. But today, a quiet but powerful shift is underway. Nigerian technicians, engineers, and project leaders are stepping into the spotlight, driving innovation, operational efficiency, and cost savings across the energy value chain. And at the heart of this shift is the strategic development of local expertise—a transformation that Terrawatt proudly leads.
Nigeria's Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and local content regulations spearheaded by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) demand more than just token inclusion. They require oil and gas companies to invest meaningfully in Nigerian talent, technology transfer, and knowledge retention.
But beyond compliance, there's a compelling business case. Locally trained teams understand Nigeria's operational terrain—whether it's managing swamp logistics in the Niger Delta or troubleshooting power supply issues at remote wellheads. They respond faster, communicate more effectively with host communities, and often cost less than foreign contractors.
In 2021, Terrawatt launched a dedicated Field Technician Training Program in partnership with Lagos-based engineering institutes and a Niger Delta university. The goal was simple: close the practical skills gap in instrumentation, flow control, pipeline inspection, and offshore maintenance.
Over 200 young Nigerians have since graduated from the program, many of whom are now deployed to client sites in Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa states. One such graduate, Emmanuel O., now leads a team handling ROV-assisted inspections on an FPSO off the coast of Bonny. He credits the hands-on training and real-time field exposure at Terrawatt for preparing him to "solve problems the books didn't teach."
Another Terrawatt success story is Fatima B., a former electrical apprentice from Lagos who rose through the ranks to become a substation maintenance lead on a multi-client project in Port Harcourt. With customized training in SCADA diagnostics and safety systems, Fatima now mentors younger recruits and recently led a team that completed a substation overhaul with zero downtime—a first in that region.
By identifying, nurturing, and trusting local talent, Terrawatt not only meets compliance thresholds but also builds a resilient, future-ready workforce that rivals imported expertise.
Beyond fieldwork, Terrawatt is investing in knowledge creation. In collaboration with the University of Port Harcourt and Covenant University, we have established mini-innovation hubs focused on:
These hubs are more than PR projects—they are incubators for scalable, market-ready solutions that reflect Nigeria's environmental, economic, and regulatory context.
In 2023, a group of students from one such hub designed a corrosion-monitoring sensor adapted for low-salinity swamp pipelines. Terrawatt tested and deployed the prototype on a client site in Bayelsa—proving that Nigerian research can directly power Nigerian oil operations.
While expatriate consultants still play a role in highly specialized areas, the balance is shifting. Terrawatt has successfully executed five major projects in the past two years—including subsea inspections, valve retrofits, and metering system installations—using 90% local personnel.
This isn't just a win for national pride. It's a cost-saving, risk-reducing, and knowledge-retaining strategy that positions Nigerian oil and gas companies for long-term sustainability. It also fosters stronger community trust, especially in regions like the Niger Delta, where local inclusion is often tied to project security and continuity.
Of course, building local capacity isn't without challenges. Skill mismatches, outdated curricula, and infrastructure gaps still exist. But Terrawatt's approach—pairing training with deployment, and theory with hands-on problem-solving—helps bridge these gaps.
We also advocate for regulatory agencies to incentivize local R&D by providing grants and streamlined licensing for indigenous innovators. With the right support, the next global oilfield breakthrough could very well come from a lab in Lagos or a test site in Delta State.
As the global oil and gas industry evolves with rising ESG expectations, tighter margins, and a growing push for renewables—Nigeria must chart its own path, powered by its own people. Local expertise isn't just a regulatory checkbox; it's our competitive edge.
At Terrawatt, we are not just hiring Nigerians—we are equipping, empowering, and elevating them. From Lagos to the Niger Delta, our engineers, technicians, and project managers are solving real-world problems with ingenuity, grit, and vision.
Let's build Nigeria's energy future together. Contact Terrawatt to learn how our locally led teams can support your next oil and gas project with global standards, and Nigerian excellence.