Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB has affirmed its commitment in developing the capacity and capabilities of Nigerians, in the oil and gas sector.
This is as the Board kicks off the completion of the Centre For Skills Development And Training in Port Harcourt, to increase the competence and capability of Nigerians, to meet the low-to-middle level human resources needs of the oil and gas industry.
The centre, conceived by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, has a six-storey Tower Block, a Library, a Heavy and Light Industrial Workshops, for the training of Nigerians in oil and gas skills.
The project which began since 2011 was stalled in 2014 due to lack of funding and would now be completed by Anoh Gas Processing Company Limited, in partnership with NCDMB and PTDF.
Speaking, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Wabote, said the facility would become a Centre of Excellence for human capcity development in the oil and gas sector.
Wabote commend the management of AGPC for taking over the completion of the facility, said the Board has deployed one of its intervention tools known as Capacity Development Initiative, CDI projects to midwife the completion of the Centre.
“Our CDI projects are utilized in collaboration with operators and service providers in the oil and gas industry to address identified gaps in local capacities and seize opportunities to grow local capabilities.
“Anoh Gas Processing Company Ltd is our CDI partner of choice on this push to finish the Skill Center in readiness for students’ intake and utilization.
“Getting this project to completion and its utilization will be a thing of pride to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, who is very keen to finish off abandoned government projects.
“NCDMB believes that a functional skills development and training centre such as this one represents a further step towards the achievement of one of the Board’s key mandate which is to develop local capacities and capabilities.
“Globally, achievement of the local content agenda is hinged on domiciling value-adding activities and this is heavily dependent on locally available skilled manpower.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of AGPC, Okechukwu Mbah, assured that the facility would be completed by April 2022.
Mbah said the company decided to take over the project as it provides them an opportunity to contribute and invest in the development of skilled professionals who would work in the country’s oil and gas sector.
“The oil and gas industry requires trained and properly skilled professionals because of the very high HSE requirement in the industry.
“Human capcity development is an area that is very important to us. This facility will trained Nigerian youths with relevant skills to pursue a rewarding career in the industry.”
