Petroleum engineers decry gas waste, skills flight in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry 

Speaking at the inaugural Oilda Fireside Chat in Lagos, the Africa Regional Director of SPE, Engr Riverson Oppong, noted that the waste is caused by poor infrastructure and low industrial capacity.

According to a statement by the SPE, Oppong pointed out that, unlike Ghana, which has prioritized efficient gas utilization, Nigeria continues to flare gas that could otherwise support industrialization and energy security.

“The professional group also bewailed the massive resource waste in the Nigerian petroleum industry where it noted that poor infrastructure and low industrial capacity enabled utilization of very small fraction of produced gas,” the statement read.

The Regional Director urged African governments to accelerate industrialization to create domestic demand for the vast natural gas resources in the continent.

He argued that petroleum remains the most available energy source to drive the continent’s economic growth.

Beyond resource mismanagement, Oppong warned that Africa is suffering from a critical skills drain, as skilled labor and young professionals continue to emigrate in search of better opportunities.

This exodus, he said, threatens the continent’s ability to build local capacity for industrial and technological advancements in the energy sector.

He attributed the mass emigration to leadership failures, stating that the loss of skilled talent has created a widening gap in Africa’s energy workforce.

Meanwhile, SPE said it was working to establish an advisory board of experts dedicated to developing strategies that address the continent’s energy challenges.

To counter the impact of skills shortages, Oppong highlighted SPE’s efforts to provide learning opportunities for African professionals.

“In response to the challenges of resolving skills flight and evolving technological innovations that would serve Africa’s energy future, Oppong stated that SPE Africa has initiated a move to set up an advisory board of experts from the continent to assist with articulating innovative strategies that would respond to the prevailing energy deficits in the continent.

“Part of the objectives, he said, is to champion innovations that would decarbonize the petroleum industry in a manner that would be cost-effective and economically beneficial to the industry. He noted that carbon capture and storage, for instance, is proven to be useful for reservoir engineering.

“The SPE chief stated that the group’s learning programmes for African professionals have since recorded over 600 virtual events for professionals to share innovations and expertise on SPE’s platforms across the continent,” the statement read further.

Additionally, Oppong disclosed that the SPE’s “Energy 4 Me” initiative targets students in colleges and universities, while the PetroWiki website, a technical resource hub, records over a million daily visits.