Petroleum Minister (Oil), Dr. Heineken Lokpobiri, has opined that capacity building contributes to the success of the oil and gas sector in Nigeria.
“Achieving this domestically offers significant benefits in terms of cost savings and the ability to train a larger number of professionals,” he added.
Lokpobiri said through a strategic collaboration with Scottish universities, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) is driving knowledge transfer to the College of Petroleum & Energy Studies, Kaduna.
According to the oil minister, “this initiative ensures that more scholars are trained locally while maintaining the global quality required to meet industry demands.
“To formalize this partnership, I had the privilege of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.”
He said the institutions have been trusted partners that have been supporting the training of the nation’s foreign-sponsored scholars for several years.
“With this agreement,” Lokpobiri insists, “Nigeria is bringing the expertise of these institutions directly to Nigeria in order to strengthen local capacity.”
He further asserted that the collaboration reflects the commitment of the Federal Government to align global best practices with local needs and ensure that the oil and gas sector remains competitive and self-sustaining even in the future.
