170 graduates benefit from Shell, partners’ internship programme
A total of 170 young graduates have benefitted from the NCDMB/PETAN/SPDC JV Graduate Internship programme, which saw them attached to indigenous technical oilfield service companies in both the upstream and downstream sectors to gain practical experience.
Of the 170 interns, 133 have secured employment with the participating companies, showcasing the success of the programme as an effective talent pipeline for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The latest cohort of 49 graduates marked the completion of their internship at a ceremony in Port Harcourt earlier this month, having started their training in 2022.
At the event, Wole Ogunsanya, Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN), praised the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) Joint Venture for its continued support of the initiative, which is helping to develop local expertise in this crucial sector of the economy.
The programme was jointly launched in 2014 by SPDC and PETAN, with young graduates placed with more than 100 member companies of the association, and SPDC providing monthly stipends.
The collaboration expanded in 2022 when the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) joined, bringing the total number of intakes to 100 over the past two years.
The NCDMB/PETAN/SPDC JV Graduate Internship programme has been widely praised as a vital human capital development initiative, playing a key role in promoting Nigerian content within the oil and gas sector.
SPDC’s General Manager for Nigerian Content, ‘Lanre Olawuyi, stated: “The internship offers more than just a learning experience. It equips graduates with essential technical expertise and practical skills that are critical to their career success.
“The programme is in line with SPDC’s broader educational goals, significantly contributing to the achievement of UNESCO’s ‘Education for All’ agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria, particularly in the Niger Delta.”
He also acknowledged the vital contributions of SPDC’s joint venture partners, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), TotalEnergies, and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited, for their unwavering support of the programme.
