By Ayomide Otitoju
TotalEnergies has emphasised that Nigeria’s long-term energy sustainability will depend not only on hydrocarbons but also on deliberate human resource development.
Deputy Managing Director, Deepwater Asset, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria, Victor Bandele, made this point on Wednesday during a panel session themed “Governance and Structuring Human Resources Strategy for a Sustainable Energy Future” at the 2025 Society of Petroleum Engineers Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition (NAICE) in Lagos.
Bandele cited the company’s long-running graduate trainee programme, delivered in partnership with the Institute of Petroleum and Energy Studies (IPES) at the University of Port Harcourt, as a key example of its investment in talent development. “Over the years, TotalEnergies has kept the IPES alive through financial sponsorship. All our directors serve as mentors, and many graduates have gone on to work with us and other industry players, both in Nigeria and abroad,” he said.
He stressed that the company’s 63-year presence in Nigeria is built on the inclusion of people in its sustainability strategy. “Sustainability does not rest on old knowledge alone. We must adapt past knowledge to meet future challenges, and youth training must be central to national development. Our educational policies should align with the realities of energy transition,” Bandele added.
Earlier, SPE Nigeria Council Chairperson, Engr. Amina Danmadami, called for intentional leadership to reshape the nation’s energy landscape, noting that the future of energy will be determined by strategic investment and inclusive stakeholder engagement.
The 2025 NAICE featured over 80 exhibiting companies, two leadership panel sessions, and multiple technical tracks covering gas monetisation, infrastructure optimisation, digital transformation, and local capacity development. The conference was themed “Building a Sustainable Energy Future: Leveraging Technology, Supply Chain, Human Resources, and Policy”.
