TotalEnergies has said Nigeria’s present and future energy sustainability does not rest solely on hydrocarbons but also on human resource development.
This was disclosed by Deputy Managing Director, Deepwater Asset, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria, Victor Bandele, while speaking at the second panel of the just-concluded Society of Petroleum Engineers’ (SPE) 2025 Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) in Lagos.
Bandele highlighted the company’s graduate trainee programme in partnership with the Institute of Petroleum and Energy Studies (IPES) at the University of Port Harcourt.
The programme focuses on developing human capacity and equipping youths with skills for the oil and gas industry.
He noted that one of the pillars on which TotalEnergies’ more than 63-year footprint in Nigeria rests is the importance it places on human capital development.
According to him, sustainability in the company’s operations “means deliberate inclusion of people as a means of meeting today’s energy requirements, while also preparing for future energy needs and targets.”
“Over the years, TotalEnergies has kept the IPES alive through financial sponsorship. And as we speak, all our directors are mentors at the institute where graduates are trained as professionals. About 40 graduates of the school are currently employees of TotalEnergies, while others work in other companies in Nigeria. Some of them are even expatriates outside the country.
“This is because we believe so much in people, and we keep adapting and learning at the school to meet today’s energy challenges, while also preparing them for the future,” he said.
Bandele added that at TotalEnergies, it is believed that sustainability does not rest on only old knowledge, noting that they also have to configure past knowledge to sustain in the future, and that is why training youths must be at the heart of national development.
He stressed that the oil and gas industry must look inwards to see that youth are carried along.
“Our educational policies must be tied to energy transition because it is not the skills needed now that will be required in the future,” Bandele added.
Chairperson, SPE Nigeria Council, AminaDanmadami, said a sustainable energy future required a holistic approach anchored on intentional leadership.
“Nigeria has found itself at a crossroads where, through bold leadership, the energy landscape must be reshaped.
The future of energy is neither here nor there. It is neither leaner nor predetermined. It will be shaped mainly by investments and sound leadership. It must be repositioned to be inclusive of all stakeholders, and must be deepened through strategic engagements across boards and the globe,” she said.
The conference provided a platform for knowledge sharing, technical collaboration, and strategic foresight.
