Energy Transition Planning for Petroleum Professionals: Managing Career and Organisational Risks in Nigeria

This study examines how petroleum sector professionals and organisations in Nigeria are preparing for the career and institutional risks associated with the global energy transition, with a focus on implications for the South West and South South regions. The progressive shift toward low-carbon energy systems poses structural challenges for a petroleum-dependent economy like Nigeria, where millions of jobs and government revenues are directly tied to fossil fuel production. Using a qualitative professional development study approach, the research conducts in-depth interviews with twenty-five petroleum professionals from legal, engineering, finance, and policy backgrounds, drawn from Lagos and Port Harcourt. Qualitative thematic analysis identifies knowledge gaps, retraining aspirations, and institutional responses to transition pressures. Findings reveal that most respondents lack a structured transition plan and that Nigerian petroleum law and policy curricula have not been updated to incorporate energy transition competencies. The study recommends integrating energy transition modules into PGD and postgraduate petroleum law programmes and establishing a government-backed professional retooling fund for displaced petroleum sector workers. Keywords: energy transition, petroleum professionals, career risk, Nigeria, workforce development.