Kenneth Ehigator
10 April 2012,Sweetcrude, LAGOS – As part of efforts to ensure realisation of the local content policy of the Federal Government in the oil and gas sector, Samsung Heavy Industries, SHI, has sent the first group of 20 Nigerian youths to its shipyard in Geoje, South Korea, on an extensive training programme.
Samsung Heavy Industries is a foremost world class ship building and offshore fabrication company.
Speaking at the pre-departure ceremony for the 20 youths at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, General Manager, Samsung Heavy Industries in Nigeria, Mr. Frank Ejuzi, told newsmen that the company decided to key into the training of Nigerian youths to meet the local content initiative of President Goodluck Jonathan by sending the youths for training in South Korea.
According to him, the youths will acquire the technology which they are expected to transfer to the oil and gas sector of the economy.
He said: “In order to recover the Nigerian local content initiative of Mr President, we felt it is important to support that initiative and my company is sending the first batch of youths in the oil and gas sector for training in Korea so that they can transfer the technology to other youths back home.
Samsung’s commitment to training Nigerians ahead of any contract award demonstrates the company’s true intention to share technology with and promote local content in Nigeria.
Samsung believes in promoting mutual prosperity with Nigeria by enabling Nigerians to fully participate in and contribute to the world class offshore fabrication projects.
“For Samsung, this is the start of a long-term relationship with Nigeria and they have already shown themselves to be unique amongst their peers, being the first and only international contractor to proactively begin training Nigerians, before winning any contracts in Nigeria.
“Samsung believes Nigeria will be the hub for oil and gas in West Africa and their long-history of success in this industry has taught them that the key to harnessing success and achieving local content is investment in people. By making huge investments in Nigeria’s human capital Samsung is helping to finally unleash Nigeria’s potential.
“In South Korea, the group will be trained for a full month at Samsung’s state-of-art shipbuilding and Fabrication Yard in Geoje.
The group will be trained by teachers that are world -skills- champions, in range of fabrication related subjects. At the end of the month the group will be eligible to acquire up to four internationally accredited certificates.
Also speaking at the pre-departure ceremony, two of the beneficiaries agreed that the overseas intensive training would give them the appropriate knowledge needed in the oil and gas field.
According to Mr Henry Ototo an Environmental Engineer, the successful completion of the programme will certify him internationally in welding and fabrication in oil and gas industry.
“I just want to thank Samsung heavy industry for keying nto President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda because youths of today, they said, are the leaders of tomorrow and we are going for an intensive training at Koje and we want to let Samsung management know that we will not let them down and even our country Nigeria . We will come back and harness what would have been impacted into us from Koje into our own society,” he said.
