Uganda seeks Nigeria's collaboration for oil manpower training

In a bid for Uganda to develop  capacity for harnessing its oil and gas sector, the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Content Development Management Board (NCDMB) yesterday, visited the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun Delta State.

The visit was to fine tune arrangements on how they can collaborate and work out modalities to develop capacity in the Oil and Gas sector of the Uganda's economy.

Catherine Tumusime, Chief Human Resources Officer, UNOC who led the team expressed optimism in the collaborative efforts.

She said: "We are here to collaborate and look forward to exchange programmes for students,  tutors, and those who will undertake seminars and  workshops to build our capacity. 

"Nigeria is far ahead of our government in oil business. First of all, oil has been here for quite some years. We notice a lot of National Content, and  retention in the country oil sector. The Government is intentional to build the capacity of their people and prevent capital flight out of the country. 

"So we've learnt a lot in terms of value retention, through National Content policies and deliberations through investment into their own countries and making sure that there is less capital flight out of Nigeria. We do appreciate that.

"We appreciate the leadership of this institute, Dr. Tina, the Registrar and all the Senior Officers that  are present to welcome us, and share  their knowledge with us".

In her goodwill message, Tassalla Tersugh, Head of the  NCDMB's  delegation who represented Engr. Felix Omotsola Ogbe, the Executive Secretary  of the NCDMB,  thanked PTI for hosting  the crucial  bilateral meeting between the institute and the Uganda National Oil Company for the purpose of benchmarking, knowledge sharing and collaboration in different sectors of the oil and gas industry.

She said: "For us in NCDMB, we are happy to be part of the instructive bilateral union involving Uganda and Nigeria. We are indeed glad to be the midwife of the new opportunities.

"PTI is very important and strategic because the Institute is a critical stakeholder in the oil and gas industry , which controls the national affairs of our economy."

Earlier in her welcome address, the Principal/ Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Dr. Samuel Onoji, represented by  Dr. (Mrs) Tina lsichei, Director, Research and  Development, assured the visiting Ugandan delegation that, PTI  is not new in the business of training foreign students through collaborative engagement such as they have come to formalize. 

Isichei added that UNOC has made a right decision to seek collaboration with PTI, which has the requisite expertise for training manpower for the oil and gas industry.

She proudly noted that PTI is the true  success story of Local Content  in action, the  reason, the NCDMB  prides PTI  in very high esteem.

According to Isichei, the vision of PTI is to be become a leading Oil and Gas Technological Institute in Africa, while the mission statement is  to provide  competent technical manpower through quality training and consultancy according to international best practice in the oil and gas industry.

The PTI boss explained that the Management Board has  mechanism put in place to ensure that these standards-  for excellence are not compromised , a practice which has helped the institute to stay up there, celebrating one success story after the other.