The Nigerian Energy Corporation (NEC) has given its nod to the University of Port Harcourt’s Centre for Gas, Refining and Petrochemicals, Institute of Petroleum Studies (CGRP-IPS) to procure a modular/pilot plant that would be used in research and development planning strategies, teaching, and hands-on training of future Nigerian gas, refining, and petrochemicals engineers.
According to Godwin Igwe, a professor of chemical engineering and the director of the CGRP-IPS, in a statement in Port Harcourt, made available to BusinessDay, said: “We at the University of Port Harcourt have produced our first batch of engineers.”
He said it was the first time in sub-Saharan Africa that his centre would be given the green light by a major forward looking Nigerian Energy Corporation, to procure a modular/pilot plant.
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Igwe, a World Bank McNamara Scholar, a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and Fellow, Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers and the president/CEO of Technology Transfers Incorporated, Newark, DE. USA, said: “We expect the Federal and state governments to use these new, highly trained manpower, to develop our energy infrastructures/industries. Self-reliance is empowerment, economic development, and security.”
It would be recalled that for over 10 years, Igwe had served as senior research engineer for E.I. DuPont, USA, and Conoco, Inc. USA. He was consultant to Core Laboratories in Houston, Texas. He is an inventor, and served as Peer Reviewer for both US Department of Energy, and US National Science Foundation. Earlier, he served and represented the Federal Government of Nigeria (NNPC) as member of board of directors of Flopetrol.
BEN EGUZOZIE
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