The United States (U.S) through the U.S Commercial Service Nigeria has announced the launch of a new training simulation solution aimed at strengthening the skills of process operators working in the refinery and chemical industry.
The technology was developed by New Jersey, US-based Simulation Solutions, Inc., a provider of Personal Computer (PC)-based dynamic simulation training programmes for process operators in the refinery and chemical industries, as well as for government and academia.
The company’s INSTO 5-Step Process Technology Operator Training for professionals has been used by downstream oil firms all over the world to significantly improve plant efficiencies.
U.S. Consul-General F. John Bray said in his opening remarks that for Nigeria to overcome its economic challenges, it must find ways to diversify its economy while improving productivity. He encouraged participants to actively engage with Simulation Solutions to improve their organisations’ bottom-line profitability.
Simulation Solution’s Nigerian partners Benel Energy and Hommaston Limited made the case why this training was absolutely critical for the economic well-being of Nigeria’s refinery and chemical sector.
Don Glaser, President of Simulation Solutions, Inc., and Matthew Garvey, Project Engineer, showcased the Simulation Solution’s patented training programmes, which combine collaborative classroom techniques with innovative simulator exercises to achieve a “Hands-On/Minds-On” work ethic among students.
Over 60 representatives from across Nigeria’s petrochemical sector, including officers from Nigeria’s national oil company, regulatory agencies and parastatals, as well as professionals drawn from private refineries, training institutes and academia, learned how companies can effectively operate their plants without accidents and downtimes, saving costs and improving profitability.
At the event anchored by U.S. Commercial Service Counsellor Brent Omdahl, audience participants expressed keen interest in establishing a partnership with Simulation Solutions, so as to find ways to adapt the simulator training program for their individual operations.
Academic speakers encouraged a gradual introduction of the training program into technical and executive skills curricula.
The U.S. Commercial Service in Nigeria said that in the coming months, it will continue its support for Simulation Solutions and its Nigerian partners as they roll out training programs for interested organisations across the country.
The Foreign Commercial Service of the U.S. government works to promote the expansion of U.S. trade and investment to Nigeria through support of business partnerships between American and Nigerian companies.