The Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) has graduated no fewer than 50,000 technologists, technicians and other technical personnel since inception in various aspects of oil and gas and allied industries.
Dr Henry Adimula, the Principal/Chief Executive Officer of PTI, made this known on Friday at a news conference in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government area of Delta.
Adimula said besides achieving 100 per cent of its mandate, PTI had produced quality graduates that were most preferred choices for employment in the oil and gas industry across the globe.
He said that the institute’s efforts in line with the local content policy on manpower development had yielded positive result.
Adimula said that with this feat expatriate technicians working in the petroleum industry were now being replaced by trained indigenous technicians.
He urged players in the oil and gas industry to visit the institute’s state-of-the-art facilities with a huge potential to offer training in all aspects of petroleum industry operations.
“I urge the captains of the oil industries to come and take a tour of our exceptional facilities that have huge potential for offering training in all aspects of petroleum industry operations.
“These facilities should serve as a platform for domesticating training in the industry and thus saving vital foreign exchange for the nation’s economy,” the principal said.
Adimula commended the past and present executives of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) for the infrastructure upgrade in the institution.
According to him, this has positioned the institute as the only one in sub-Sahara Africa with the facilities that can address contemporary training needs of oil and gas workers in Africa.
He said that the next 50 years of the institute would be a period of redefinition in the delivery of training, solutions, research and development.
“As the world grapples with energy transition from the exploitation and utilisation of fossil fuels to cleaner and more environmental friendly sources of energy.
“PTI has taken a bold stride in kick-starting research and development effort that take cognisance of the peculiarity of the Africa situation.
“With an estimated 125 billion barrels of crude reserves and over 600tcf of gas reserves in Africa.
“It is our considered opinion that Africa should not hasten to abandon fossil fuel, but should strive to deepen research and development of local technologies that enables the exploitation and beneficiation of our oil and gas endowment.
“In a more environmentally friendly manner as the reality of global demand for fossil fuel is expected to linger for the next 50 years.
“Today, we are confronted with the grim reality that only a few African countries have been able to master certain aspect of oil production technology, but none can research, design and fabricate key machinery for the industry,” he said.
Adimula said that PTI intended to focus research in this key areas in order to develop local content capacity in oil technology.
He said that this would enable Nigeria to achieve some independence in the design and production of technology for the oil industry.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the news conference was part of the activities marking the 50th anniversary of the oil and gas institution established in 1972.
NAN also reports that the celebration begins on Oct.13, with a day conference/award night at the PTDF Hall in Abuja.
It continues from Oct. 21 and culminating with the institute’s convocation ceremony on Oct. 29, 2022.(NAN)
