The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF)

  • Why PTDF stopped aptitude test for oversea training – Gusau

    …to train 124 M.Sc, 77PhD in Euorpe, China

     

    The Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau, Monday explained that the fund stopped selecting students for oversea training by aptitude test because it is not a good measure of their capacity.

    Speaking at the induction ceremony in Abuja, he disclosed that 124 Masters of Science (M.Sc) and 77 PhD students that are to undergo training in China, Germany and France.

    Read Also:PIB lacks value generation – PTDF

    He recalled that “hitherto, we subjected students to just one hour aptitude test. But we felt that is not a good measure of their capacity. So, what we did is get to see after four years of staying in the university what quality of degree do you have.

    “If you have a First Class we know you are good and more than somebody who has Second Class Lower. If you have Second Class Upper, you are going to earn in our marking more than somebody, who has Second Class Lower. That was how we ended up with the list we came up with. So, 70% of the marks they got were based on those documents.”

    According to him, the students are scheduled to embark on their journey to commence their studies as soon as their visas are ready.

    He advised them that the training transcends acquisition of certificate to skills and expertise for contribution to national development.

    He tasked them on returning to deploy their skills in Nigeria, adding that they should bear in mind that they are representing the nation.

    The PTDF boss said “how you comport yourselves in those countries tells on the image of this country.”

    He assured the students that PTDF would transmit the rules governing overseas trainings to them.

    Gusau said that the number of students that the Fund is sponsoring in Nigerian universities is four times of the inducted oversea students.

    He maintained that in order to domesticate the training, PTDF patronizes Nigerians universities for training of under-graduates.

  • I’m ashamed Nigeria has no data on oil – Yemi-Esan

    I’m ashamed Nigeria has no data on oil – Yemi-Esan

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, yesterday expressed concern over the non-availability of data on Nigeria oil sector in the country.

    According to her, Nigerians have to go to the secretariat of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ( OPEC ) before getting data on Nigerian oil.

    She said: “immediately after the minister’s speech last week, somebody stood up and said we didn’t have data source on Nigeria. And I was actually ashamed of myself and I think as we provide data for OPEC, we should address the question of churning credible data to be consumed in-country. It is a pity when students are looking for data we have to go to OPEC to get data about Nigeria.”

    She spoke while declaring the OPEC data management training workshop open at the Petroleum Technology Development Fund ( PTDF ) in Abuja.

    Yemi-Esan tasked the stakeholders in the workshop to work with the ministry to ensure that there is a generation and provision credible data that could help in planning and research purposes in the country. 

    She noted that the ministry works with the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas, the Central Bank of Nigeria, Debt Management Office, National Population Commission, Energy Commission of Nigeria, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and Indorama Nig Ltd in order to generate its data.

    The Perm Sec, who noted that OPEC had commended the ministry on the last questionnaire it filled on data generation, stressed that “the format has changed slightly and we want to be sure that we are actually doing better. That is why we have this training.”

    According to her, the ministry was expecting participants from Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon but they cancelled their trip at the last minute. 

    Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the PTDF which hosted the event, Dr. Aliyu Gusau, noted that presently the organization relies heavily on member countries for accurate and timely data to effectively carry out its mandate.

    He added that for the Fund, “this workshop offers an opportunity for the expression of our strategic objectives to engage more effectively key players of the oil and gas industry by making valuable contributions that will further enhance capacity building of personnel and operators in the industry.” 

    Speaking, the Head, OPEC Data Management, Dr. Adedapo Odulaja all the activities of the organization is based on the data from member countries. 

    He stressed that without data transparency the oil industry cannot thrive. He noted that there are legal and technical aspects of the data, and without capacity building on them there will be no achievements in the industry. 

    He pointed out that the essence of the workshop was as a result of the need to make other agencies in the world compatible with the change in the questionnaire that was used for 20 years. 

    He submitted  that “we will have to understand the connection between the old and the new one and that is why we are here today.”

  • NANS gives PTI 24 hours ultimatum to reverse tuition fee increase

    NANS gives PTI 24 hours ultimatum to reverse tuition fee increase

    The National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS ) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the management, Petroleum Training Institute ( PTI ), Effurun, Delta, to reverse the increase in the school’s tuition fee.

    NANS’ President, Mr Chinonso Obasi, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said that new tuition fee as officially released by the school management was adverse; hence it would be resisted by Nigerian students.

    PTI recently released its approved schedule of charges for 2017/2018 academic year with tuition fee of old students increased from N26, 000 to N81, 000 and that of new students from N43, 000 to N91, 000.

    Obasi said that though the Nigerian economy was not at its best times, students should not be exploited.

    “Four years ago when I graduated in the same institute, the tuition fee was N14, 000 and it is so embarrassing to see a new official fee of N81,000 and N91,000 respectively for old and new students.

    “We understand that times are hard and the Nigerian economy is not stable, that notwithstanding, Nigerian students must not be used as a means of increasing internal generated revenue (IGR).

    “The Act establishing PTI is exceptionally different from other conventional tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

    “ PTI is a special institution whose mandate is to train specialised technicians to meet global competition in the oil and gas industry.’’

    He said that foreign training which the Petroleum Technology Development Fund ( PTDF ) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund ( TETFund ), sponsor with millions of dollars could be done by PTI.

    Obasi said that NANS would partner with PTI’s management to take advantage of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption strides and tackle the problem of abandoned projects in the institution.

    He said that the factors that led to infrastructural decay, lack of adequate training of teachers and poor funding of the institute should be exposed instead of exploiting students.

    “NANS urges President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Minister of Petroleum, who supervises PTI to advice the institution’s management to unconditionally reverse the tuition fee schedule within 24hrs or face mass action from NANS,’’ Obasi said.

    NAN

  • Kachikwu to petroleum agencies: Develop self-funding mechanism

    Kachikwu to petroleum agencies: Develop self-funding mechanism

    The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, has urged parastatal agencies under the ministry to develop a roadmap for  self-funding of their activities within the next three to  four years.

    A statement by Head of Press, Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) Kalu Otisi  in Abuja on Tuesday, stated that Kachikwu gave the charge while inspecting PTDF’s upgraded projects in PTI  Effurum Delta-State.

    “The Federal Government is not going to continue to be sending you yearly disbursements in perpetuity.

    “It’s never going to work, so a major challenge is to identify those areas where you will have a big commercial nexus both for the upstream and downstream sectors of the industry.”

    According to the statement, facilities inspected by the minister included an ultra-modern laboratory complex, a one- stop laboratory for research and training in diverse areas of onshore and offshore operations.

    Other projects are facilities for exploration, drilling and production provided by PTDF, a demonstration training land rig with flow station rehabilitated and made functional by PTDF and the latest drilling simulators, welding and mechanical workshops.

    Kachikwu, accompanied by some senior officials of the ministry including the new Executive Secretary of PTDF, Dr. Bello Aliyu Gusau, commended the Fund for the rigorous implementation of its capacity building programmes.

    “I am very impressed with what they have done. It’s actually one of the agencies that you don’t need to do an audit to see where their resources are being utilised.

    “I have been to some of the projects done by PTDF; I was in the University of Nigeria Nsukka,

    “I was in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, and some other places where they have been able to make a huge difference; I am extremely impressed with the work that they have done in PTI too.”

    He urged the Principal of the Petroleum Training Institute, Prof. Sunny Iyuke, to adopt a maintenance re-orientation for the training institute.

    He said this would attract the kind of scholarship that would help to increase the revenue generation profile of the Institution

    The PTDF is mandated by law to build capacities and capabilities in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry through the development of human capacities

    It also ensures institutional capacity development and the promotion of research and acquisition of relevant technologies.