Academic Resources and Industrial Practice Combined for 25 Nigerian Energy Experts
The opening ceremony of the PCCS Nigeria Natural Gas Project Industrial Technology and Operations Management Training Program (Cohort 2) was held at Tianjin University. Twenty-five industry experts from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund (MDGIF), 3F Capital Limited, and the PCCS Nigeria Delegation officially commenced structured technical training.
A high-standard international training Program begins before participants enter the classroom. Prior to the opening ceremony, the PCCS and Tianjin University teams completed venue setup, teaching equipment commissioning, registration process design, course material preparation, and tea break arrangements. From seating arrangements to simultaneous interpretation equipment, from course handbooks to on-site signage, every detail was executed in accordance with international training standards. We believe professionalism is reflected not only in course content but also in the experience of every touchpoint.
Mr. He Zhenyong, PCCS Organizing Representative, and Mr. Cheng Leiming, Vice Dean of the School of Distance and Continuing Education at Tianjin University, attended the opening ceremony.
In his welcome address, Vice Dean Cheng Leiming extended a warm welcome to all participants on behalf of Tianjin University. Centring on the three keywords of heritage, innovation, and commitment, he introduced the university’s educational history of more than 130 years and its tradition in engineering education. Tianjin University attaches great importance to this Program and looks forward to participants gaining knowledge and inspiration on campus. This Program is an important practice in China–Nigeria talent co-cultivation and technical integration in the energy sector, and he expressed the hope that participants will translate what they learn into practical capabilities that advance the development of Nigeria’s natural gas industry.
In his opening remarks, Mr. He Zhenyong, PCCS Organizing Representative, stated that PCCS has always been committed to providing full-chain technical support for Nigeria’s natural gas industry, from engineering design and construction delivery to operations management. He emphasised that this training is not simply knowledge transfer, but a concrete practice of PCCS translating project delivery experience into client capacity building. “We provide not only equipment and technical solutions, but also systematically transfer engineering capability, operational experience, and industry insights to our partners,” said He Zhenyong.
The participant representatives from NMDPRA and MDGIF expressed their gratitude to PCCS and Tianjin University for the organisation of the Program. They noted that Nigeria’s natural gas industry is at a stage of rapid development, and that regulatory systems and operational capabilities need to be enhanced in parallel. The training covers key segments across the full natural gas value chain and represents a valuable learning opportunity for both NMDPRA and MDGIF. They committed to bringing the technical knowledge and management experience gained in China back to Nigeria and applying it to regulatory work, project evaluation, and infrastructure investment.
The participant representative from 3F Capital Limited stated that 3F Capital has long been involved in natural gas infrastructure investment and project development in Nigeria, and understands the decisive role of technical capability in project success. He thanked PCCS for building this transnational learning platform, noting that the Program is not only a technical learning experience but also a broadening of industry perspective. He looks forward to deeper project-level cooperation with PCCS in the future.
Following the opening ceremony, participants took a group photo in front of the Distance Education Building at Tianjin University and returned to the classroom to begin their coursework.
This marks PCCS’s second delivery of structured capacity building for Nigeria’s energy sector with Tianjin University as the academic platform, following the successful completion of the first cohort. The experience gained from Cohort 1 has laid a solid foundation for this Program and has enabled this training model to mature.
Africa’s natural gas industry is at a critical stage of transition from resource development to capability building. True industrial capability comes not only from reserves beneath the ground, but from the people above it who can design, build, operate, and manage these projects. What PCCS is doing is translating engineering delivery experience into a transferable knowledge system, and converting project construction capability into sustainable, localised client capability. From on-site verification in Langfang to classroom learning at Tianjin University, we are not merely training a group of participants — we are building a long-term capability foundation for Nigeria’s natural gas industry.
