Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State, is seeking support from International Oil Companies (IOCs) to boost skilled manpower in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, according to Orient Energy Review.
In an interview, The Chief Coordinator of PTI Consultancy Services, Dr. Oriri Asemota Omorodion, said that PTI has been in training for over 40 years, adding that the institute has trained so many Nigerians for the middle manpower needs of the oil and gas industry.
Despite all these years of experience, Dr. Oriri said, the institute has some limitations in financing some of these training and equipment.
According to her, there have been numerous support from PTDF in a way of providing equipment for the institute. But, there is still a gap, in the sense that, there was no hands-on training for the resource persons who are supposed to operate the equipment.
She said: “The oil companies need to also challenge PTI with their capacity development training needs.
“They need to challenge us and say, “we have this need, can you do it?” Then we will now pass or fail. But they are not giving us the opportunity to do that.
“We are appealing that they should please come to our aid, look at our needs and help. We need a lot of exposure and training.
“Petroleum Training Institute is actually there to serve the industry by producing quality workforce. Let them know that to have the kind of workforce they need, they also need to develop that place that is producing this workforce that they really need.
“The truth is that, like in Angola, there is a law stating that all oil companies should inform Angola Petroleum Institute of any new discoveries. Then the Petroleum Institute looks at it, develop a curriculum and research on that, and they now use it as a training tool for the country’s oil and gas industry workers.
“But here, there is so much detachment of the Petroleum Training Institute from the Industry.
“In those days when l got into PTI, in the early 90s, l know that the oil and gas industry had some votes allocated for training PTI staff. It was there but over time, it just thinned out and so we were now left behind as what we get from the government cannot do that.
“If we can get back to that period, it will help. That is why l am saying, do not even give us money, just provide the equipment, provide training, and then ask us to give you what you want.
“There was a company called ASHLAND that came to open a laboratory for us. The laboratory was for petroleum analysis. They also trained our staff but that was so many years ago. Since then, no other company has come.
“I agree that PTI has its own role to play in bringing this thing back but l plead with the IOCs to please take PTI as their TRAINING ARM and let us come together to say “okay what do we do” this is what we need to do and then we move on,” she added.
The Petroleum Training Institute is a Federal Government-owned institution. The Institute prides herself on producing highly skilled specialized and formidable workforce for the Nigerian oil and gas industry.