By Stella Odueme
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has inaugurated a high-level committee to accelerate the operationalisation of its Centre for Skills Development and Training (CSDT) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, amid efforts to bridge technical manpower shortages in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The Executive Secretary of PTDF, Prof. Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, inaugurated the committee in Abuja, charging members to review the Centre’s operational systems, identify existing gaps and recommend measures to ensure its full utilisation.
Aliyu said the initiative followed findings from a PTDF skills audit, which identified significant shortages of competent Nigerian workers, particularly in technical and middle-level occupations across the energy sector.
He explained that the Centre was established to address the skills deficit through competency-based vocational training and internationally recognised certifications for technicians, artisans and craftsmen.
The facility is expected to provide training in welding and fabrication, electrical works, industrial safety, automobile maintenance and heavy-duty equipment maintenance, among other technical fields.
According to the PTDF boss, the Centre is approximately 98 per cent complete, with facilities including an administrative building, auditorium, library, hostels, staff quarters, canteen, power and water infrastructure.
Although the Centre is yet to commence full operations, he said its facilities had already supported programmes under the PTDF Overseas Scholarship Scheme and In-Country Scholarship Scheme, as well as training organised by institutions such as the Bureau of Public Procurement.
The committee’s mandate includes developing an operational policy and management framework for the Centre and designing competency-based curricula aligned with industry requirements.
It is also expected to recommend appropriate training, assessment and certification systems, while establishing pathways to connect trainees with internships, apprenticeships, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
In addition, the committee will facilitate partnerships among government agencies, regulators, educational institutions, professional bodies, oil and gas operators and service companies to strengthen the Centre’s relevance to the energy industry.
The committee is further tasked with preparing an implementation framework outlining timelines, responsibilities, monitoring indicators and reporting mechanisms for the Centre’s operations.
Responding on behalf of the committee, its Chairman, Prof. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, thanked PTDF for the confidence reposed in its members and pledged to deliver a comprehensive review and operationalisation framework.
Kachikwu said skills development was critical to economic growth, increased local participation in the energy value chain and Africa’s effective participation in the global energy transition.
The committee comprises representatives of government, academic, regulatory, labour and industry institutions, including the Chairman of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), Christopher Osarunwense; the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), represented by Dr. Folorunsho Akande; and the Chief Executive Officer of Green Energy International, Prof. Anthony Adegbulugbe.
Others are the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo; Prof. Mohammed Dauda of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Prof. Ayodele Ajayi of the Federal University of Technology, Akure; and representatives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) is represented by Zainab Dutse and Mrs. V. U. Akpagher, while Dr. Sani Mohammed represents Kaduna Polytechnic.
Representatives of Dangote Refinery, the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) and other key stakeholder organisations are also members of the committee.
PTDF expressed confidence that the committee’s diverse expertise would provide the strategic direction required to strengthen the Centre’s programmes, deepen industry integration and advance the Fund’s mandate of developing human and institutional capacity for Nigeria’s energy sector.