Body set to deepen training on human capital development

As part of its contribution to building local human capital in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry, Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) has concluded plans to hold a two day maiden conference in Lagos.

OGTAN an independent umbrella group of training services providers in the oil and gas sector representing the education and training sectorial group of the Nigerian content consultative forum was established to act as a business group that interface with operators, international organisations and the Nigeria government.

Mike Onyekonwu, chairman of OGTAN while speaking at a press conference in Lagos said the conference with the theme effective human capital development in an economic downturn: building for the future in oil and gas sector is targeted at all training providers in oil and gas sector, stakeholders and educational institutions providing training resources for the industry including regulators and government policy makers for the industry.

Onyekonwu disclose that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and the petroleum technology development fund will be partnering the association in this conference

He further informed that National Universities Commission (NUC), NABTE, the industrial training fund, certifying bodies in the industry and other key government institutions will be participating in the conference.

Wonu Adetayo, vice chairman of the Association on her part noted among the objective of forming the Association and organising the conference are to reduce capital flight, build local capacity in the training function, improve ability of our tertiary education providers to support industry needs.

Other are to localise certificate and benchmark to international standards, improve research and development efforts, improve facilities to deliver required training and create a hub for oil and gas training in the sub-saharan Africa region.     

Adetayo hinted that discussions and papers presented during the conference will contribute toward the national discourse and policy direction on the challenges of building human capital needed to sustain development and growth in the oil and gas sector within the context of the challenging economic downturn and limited resources to fund much needed human capital development.

The two day conference scheduled for 21to 22 July, 2015 at the Oriental Hotel Victoria Island Lagos also has as subthemes leveraging on Nigeria Talent as an engine for boosting economic development and empowerment, the challenge of Nigeria’s educational system: role of traditional and technical colleges in reducing skills gap in the oil and gas industry among others. 

KELECHI EWUZIE