Nigeria is struggling to boost the local content in its domestic oil and gas industry as a result of a training deficiency and inadequate infrastructure, Funso Esan, head of the energy department at the National Planning Commission, has claimed.

Speaking to Reuters, Mr Esan said that the country is in need of more robust training and development programmes in order to boost the overall number of Nigerians serving the oil and gas industry.

"Nigeria is highly blessed in terms of human and material resources, but unfortunately still looks outside for competent hands," he said.

George Osahon, Nigerian content manager for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said that the country was still some way off achieving its ambition of boosting local content to 70 per cent of the oil and gas industry workforce.

Currently, Nigerians hold around 45 per cent of all positions in the energy industry, with most managerial and executive positions still held by foreign workers.

NNPC's group managing director Mohammed Sanusi Barkindo has recently called on the domestic workforce to adapt to the changing face of the oil and gas industry as the country's infrastructure strengthens.

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