The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has established a committee to design the operational framework and industry-oriented curriculum for its Center for Skills Development and Training in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The committee was inaugurated on Thursday in Abuja by PTDF Executive Secretary, Prof. Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, as the Fund moves to accelerate the full commencement of the center and strengthen the supply of technical manpower to Nigeria’s oil, gas and wider energy sectors.
PTDF said the committee would review the centre’s existing systems and operations, identify the gaps and recommend measures for its effective utilization. “Competency-based curricula aligned with industry needs will also be developed and training, assessment and certification systems recommended.
The PTDF said the center would contain an administrative building, auditorium, library, hostels, staff quarters, canteen and power and water infrastructure, among others, and is about 98 per cent complete.
The facility has been used for activities under the PTDF’s Overseas Scholarship Scheme and In-Country Scholarship Scheme and training programs organized by the Bureau of Public Procurement. But it is not yet fully operationalized as a dedicated technical and vocational training center.
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The center was set up by the PTDF after a skills audit had revealed a shortage of qualified Nigerian technical workers, particularly for technical and middle-level jobs in the oil and gas industry.
It is intended to offer competency-based vocational training and internationally recognized certifications in welding and fabrication, electrical works, industrial safety, automobile maintenance and heavy-duty equipment maintenance.
The committee will also be charged with developing pathways for trainees to access internships, apprenticeships, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
It is expected to work with government agencies, petroleum regulators, education institutions, professional bodies, oil and gas operators and service companies to strengthen those links.
Earlier, PTDF had said the Port Harcourt center was designed to bridge technical skills gap in the petroleum industry, especially at lower and medium levels. During an inspection of the facility earlier this year, the Fund said the structure was complete, but it needed additional furnishing and equipment before it could be fully operational.
The committee, headed by the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, is expected to deliver an implementation framework detailing timelines, responsibilities, monitoring indicators, and reporting mechanisms for the center’s operations.
