– HR specialist highlights how talent development, partnerships, mentorship, inclusion and leadership are vital to Guyana’s future

WITH more eyes on Guyana than ever before and a booming economy driven by rapidly growing sectors, the country has quickly attracted new investors and opportunities. At the core of this development, however, are people. Human resources specialist, Nicholas Tuma, says that the strategic development of Guyana’s human resources is vital not just to the success of the oil and gas sector but also to the success of Guyanese and the country at large.
Sitting down with the Pepperpot Magazine earlier this week, Tuma shared expert insights from his 14-year career on how the government continues to ensure that Guyanese are part of the growing sectors, how private companies can develop their workforce through collaboration, why inclusion is so vital in this push, and just how different the Guyanese workforce could look in the next five to ten years.
Tuma, who currently lives and works in Guyana, was born and raised in Jinja, Uganda, and it is said that it was there that his passion for people and national development was sparked.
As he shared, “Having a background of coming from a developing country in Africa, to me, it has created this desire to see that everywhere we work, we need to build the capacity in those countries, because I refuse to believe that it has to be somebody coming in from elsewhere,” he said.

People development in home countries

Tuma noted that while some developing countries may lack personnel with specific skills, the aim should always be to develop the people of that nation rather than having foreigners account for the entire workforce.”We should be able to pass that knowledge on to somebody. Like somebody came into my country when my organisation started, passed the knowledge to me and now I’m where I am. So, we should be able to develop the capacity in the countries where we operate,” he said.
This belief and drive gave rise to Tuma’s 14-year career. His work has spanned continents and has focused primarily on establishing strategic human resource operations.
Currently the Regional HR Manager for Guyana, Trinidad and the Caribbean at SLB, Tuma works to ensure the development of local capacity and strong partnerships between the human resource function and the business. He noted that there is also a strategic element to supporting businesses in achieving their goals.
“I have been with the organisation and worked in various jurisdictions. So, I started out in Africa, so that was [in] Uganda, Kenya, [then I] spent about six years in the US before going back to East and South Africa, and then now coming to Guyana,” he added.
Tuma came to Guyana through SLB in 2023 and observed that Guyana has made steady and impactful progress in developing its talent pipeline. While he noted that the framework for developing Guyana’s human resources could continue to be strengthened, he emphasised that the government is clearly committed to overcoming these challenges.
As he shared, “The government is taking intentional steps through, one, the scholarships that they’re offering, opening up the University of Guyana, making it free so that more people can access the education, and then it’s where we, too, come in to help push that along,” he added.
“In building that pipeline, we come in through partnerships with educational institutions, partnerships with the ministries to make sure that we’re able to provide our knowledge on where the industry is going, what’s needed in the industry, the sort of profiles needed in the industry, so that the government can plan and strategically set themselves up for success at the time.”
Strategic Human Resource Development
Speaking on the work of companies like his own, Tuma noted that the focus should be on strategic human resource development. This includes understanding where the gaps are, leveraging mentorship opportunities, and ensuring that when expatriates are hired, local workers and interns are given the opportunity to learn alongside them and gain the experience they need.
Tuma also highlighted the importance of partnerships with educational institutions. Speaking on what he believes are some of the major ways to address Guyana’s skills gap, Tuma added, “I would say, secondment abroad, so that people can experience, mentorships locally, so everyone’s paired up with an expatriate, early exposure to operations, so instead of keeping people in an office doing the theory, send them out, let them go to the field,” he said.
While new avenues continue to emerge to address technical skill shortages, Tuma noted that emphasis should also be placed on soft skills. Calling soft skills “non-negotiable”, he explained that, like in any other industry, attitude and work ethic are vital in ensuring workplace success.
Alongside mindset, however, Tuma says an understanding of and willingness to work with digitalisation and technology is becoming increasingly important within the oil and gas sector.
“Our organisation is one of those that has been ranked as number one in adopting AI into our operations,” he added. “Digitalisation is one of the things that’s trending now. So having an understanding of the digital sphere, AI and how it plays around is good, and soft skills. Soft skills, presentation skills, communication skills, those are very important in making sure that people are able to get in and stay in,” he said.
Diversity and inclusion are also vital aspects of ensuring Guyanese succeed within the oil and gas sector. Tuma noted that ensuring inclusion requires organisations to be intentional. Having quotas and strong female representation could also be major drivers, says Tuma.
“ [One example is] having women representatives speaking to women, telling them more about the sector through career presentations, which are done by females, telling them about their journey, the challenges that they face, and the successes that have come their way,” he said.

The future, through people
Looking ahead to what Guyana’s oil and gas workforce could look like in the next decade, Tuma says the oil boom will continue, growing the economy and creating new opportunities. By then, he expects more Guyanese than ever to be part of the industry.
As he added, “Looking at five years down the road, the oil boom will still be going on, and probably it will be now transitioning more from the exploration and more into the production phase. And at that phase, I would expect that, one, there are more Guyanese,” he added.
For Tuma, the future of Guyana’s oil and gas sector is closely tied to how well the country continues to build its human capital. He believes that while the industry will continue to expand, the real shift will be seen in the progression of Guyanese workers from entry-level roles to leadership positions, as more locals gain experience, training, and exposure both at home and abroad.