Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Lokpobiri directs NCDMB, PTDF to revive over vocational centers across Nigeria
Oredola Adeola
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Crude Oil), has given a directive to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to revive and complete the Center for Skills Development Training in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and vocational centers in Bayelsa and Delta States.
EnergyDay gathered that the aim of this directive is to create a sustainable pipeline of home-grown talents and workforce for the oil and gas sectors.
Sen. Lokpobiri made this commitment on Wednesday when he visited the PTDF Centre for Skills Development and Training (CSDT) in Omagwa, Rivers State, alongside Engr. Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Ahmed Aminu, Acting Executive Secretary PTDF, contractors and other partners involved in the development of the training centres.
In his comment after receiving briefs from Engr. Wabote and Aminu, on the progress of the work and the importance of the training Centre when completed and how it will benefit thousands of youths, Sen. Lokpobiri pleaded with the two Chief Executives to intervene more and to complete similar abandoned projects so as to engage, train and employ many Nigerians.
He said “We can’t afford to make similar mistakes like in the past. The earlier we put our heads together and complete this project the better for us. We must find a way to set up a sustainable management structure that will keep this project, so it does not run down like many other projects and initiatives.
The Minister further encouraged the contractors to continue to work hard to get the job done, noting that any challenges faced will be addressed and resolved immediately.
He said, “I am here to see things for myself and see how we can then plan the best possible way to run and manage it.”
Earlier while briefing the Minister, Engr. Wabote said the Board discovered about 250 abandoned vocational centres in Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States with no management structure and no equip management.
He added that the NCDMB got involved and partnered with PTDF to complete and equip this training Centre to meet global standards rather than to build a new Centre from the scratch.
EnergyDay’s check showed that the NCDMB has been making efforts to ignite technical resurgence in technical training centers across Nigeria, with the aim of making Nigerians capable of taking over the future of the oil and gas industry from scratch.
To achieve this, the NCDMB has launched a scheme to rebuild and equip some of the technical centers into world-class status. Shell Petroleum Development Company, Total Energies Nigeria Limited, ANOH Gas Processing Company (AGPC) Limited, and other international oil corporations (IOCs) have collaborated with the Board and PTDF to achieve this goal.
The NCDMB has pledged to assist the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) in upgrading its engineering and technical workshops, facilities for virtual learning, staff, and other key areas of assistance to actualize capacity development mandates.
