The Petroleum Technology Development Fund’s (PTDF) has renewed its commitment to make huge investments in promoting local content and human capital development in the Niger Delta region.
The fund said its resolve to upgrade institutions in the region were deliberate efforts at addressing challenges of human capital development.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Mr Kalu Otisi, the Head of Press and External Relations Unit, PTDF.
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund’s (PTDF) has renewed its commitment to make huge investments in promoting local content and human capital development in the Niger Delta region.
The fund said its resolve to upgrade institutions in the region were deliberate efforts at addressing challenges of human capital development.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Mr Kalu Otisi, the Head of Press and External Relations Unit, PTDF.
The statement quoted the PTDF Executive Secretary, Dr Oluwole Oluleye as saying this in his presentation at the third Practical Nigerian Content Forum and Road Show on community engagement and collaboration.
The road show, which took place in Bayelsa, was organised by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in collaboration with PTDF.
It listed some of the interventions in the Niger Delta region to include the establishment of the National Centre for Skills Development and Training in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Others are the establishment of Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas Ekowe, Bayelsa, development of Federal Polytechnic Bonny, Rivers, and Upgrade of Petroleum Training Institute Effurun, Delta.
It said that PTDF being a member of the Post Amnesty Rehabilitation Committee introduced specialised training programmes in which hundreds of Niger Delta Youths were currently pursuing undergraduate studies in Malaysia, China and Norway.
It said that others were undergoing vocational training such as helicopter piloting and air surveillance in South Africa, adding that 100 others had completed their city and guild certified vocational skills training in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
It said that the aim was to develop their intellectual base and technical capabilities by attracting international certifications after their training to be accepted globally.
On collaboration and community engagement, it disclosed that PTDF had done its part to develop the manpower needed to drive the local content initiative in line with its mandate.
“What is required is a unified stakeholder approach that will ensure their full integration and engagement into the industry.
“PTDF is the lead agency of government charged with the responsibility of developing human capacities in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.
“We have been efficiently doing that but this will be more effective if other industry players collaborate with us,” it stated.
The statement said that the fund had trained a lot of Nigerians that needed to be engaged by the industry, while stressing the need for stakeholders to partner and address the issue.
“If we keep building capacity that is not engaged in the industry, particularly in the Niger Delta region, it will still result to youth restiveness and revenue losses,’’ said the statement.
It said that a database of all PTDF scholars, including their areas of specialisations was being put together for delivery to NCMDB for the purpose of facilitating their engagement by international oil companies.
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