ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Petroleum Technology Development Fund has inaugurated a committee to develop an operational framework and curriculum for its new Centre for Skills Development in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as part of efforts to bridge the skills gap in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The committee, inaugurated on Thursday at the PTDF headquarters in Abuja, comprises experts drawn from the oil and gas industry, academia, and vocational training institutions. It is tasked with developing a comprehensive curriculum that aligns with international best practices and the specific needs of the Nigerian petroleum sector.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Executive Secretary of PTDF, Ahmed Galadima Aminu, said the centre was established to provide world-class training for Nigerians in petroleum-related skills, including welding, pipe fitting, instrumentation, electrical installation, and other technical disciplines. He noted that the centre would help reduce the country’s dependence on foreign expertise and create employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
“The Centre for Skills Development in Port Harcourt is a strategic investment in the future of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. Our goal is to produce a generation of highly skilled Nigerian technicians and artisans who can compete globally and contribute to the growth of our economy,” Aminu stated.
He said the committee’s mandate included developing a curriculum that meets international standards, establishing partnerships with industry players and international training institutions, and designing a framework for the certification and accreditation of trainees. He also charged the committee to develop a sustainability plan for the centre, including revenue generation and industry sponsorship.
“The success of this centre depends on the quality of the framework and curriculum that you develop. I urge you to approach this task with the seriousness and dedication it deserves,” Aminu told the committee members.
The Chairman of the Committee, Professor Olusegun Adeyemi, a renowned petroleum engineer and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, thanked the PTDF for the opportunity to serve and pledged that the committee would deliver on its mandate. He said the committee would engage widely with stakeholders, including oil companies, training institutions, and community leaders, to ensure that the centre meets the needs of the industry and the host community.
“We understand the importance of this assignment. We will consult widely, benchmark against the best training centres in the world, and develop a curriculum that will produce skilled professionals who can compete anywhere in the world,” Adeyemi said.
The PTDF Centre for Skills Development in Port Harcourt is expected to commence operations in the first quarter of 2027. The centre will offer short-term and long-term training programmes, including apprenticeships, technical certifications, and advanced skills development courses. It will also serve as a hub for research and innovation in petroleum technology.
The initiative has been welcomed by industry stakeholders, who have long lamented the shortage of skilled technicians in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. The President of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, Mr. Emeka Okoye, said the centre would help reduce the industry’s reliance on foreign workers and create opportunities for Nigerian youths.
“The PTDF Skills Development Centre is a welcome development. It will provide the industry with the skilled manpower we need to sustain our operations and to grow our local content capacity,” Okoye said.
As the committee begins its work, expectations are high that the centre will become a model for skills development in Nigeria and a source of pride for the oil and gas industry. For now, the PTDF has reaffirmed its commitment to human capital development, which it described as the key to unlocking the potential of Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
