Patrick Ekpoh
Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has expressed concern that most of its trained personnel have failed to return to the country after they’ve completed their studies. The commonest reason for staying back is lack of employment in oil and gas companies in Nigeria.
The Fund has also commenced collaborations with Oil and Gas companies to ensure that students, especially those trained through its scholarship scheme outside the country, are employed into key positions in the companies.
The Head, Overseas Scholarship Scheme of PTDF, Mrs Bolanle
Agboola, raised the concern in her keynote address titled “The Role and Impact of PTDF on Nigerian Students/Youths and our Institutions” during a one day PTDF students sensitization/capacity building program held at Ebony Auditorium, University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Thursday.
The event was organized to create students awareness about the activities of PTDF in the country.
Agboola regretted that due to lack of employment by these companies or placement in demeaning offices, many of the students that the PTDF sponsored remain oversea countries where they would be readily employed and beautifully paid. She said PTDF would not allow such to continue as the companies have to do something
According to her, PTDF has put in place measures to ensure that these students or beneficiaries are brought home upon completion of studies to help develop Nigerian economy and solve nagging problems in the society.
Agboola who admitted that the alumni of the scheme are scattered across the world said PTDF is working to harness them for the benefit of the country adding that over 8000 students have been sponsored since the inception of the scheme.
“We also have to harness our alumni, we have a lot of them scattered all over the world, how do we harness them for our own benefit and also improving recruitment and number of scholars of our product in the oil and gas industry, this is the major problem for us.
“We have trained over 8000 students and some of them after the training remain over there, all our investments are retained in US, UK, Canada, and more.
“Also there is a complaint that when they come back to Nigeria they don’t get job, they are finding it difficult to be absorbed in the oil and gas industry.Therefore, we need to create more cooperation and partnership with the oil and gas industry.” Agboola said.
She, therefore, pledged the Scheme’s 100 percent commitments to building indigenous capacity in the oil and gas sector, adding that PTDF is looking for different ways of generating funds as the licencing fees which is their major source of income was no longer sustainable for operations.
In his remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to president Bola Tinubu on students Engagement, Hon. Asefon Dayo commended the PTDF for their continued investment in education, training, and human capital development, particularly in a sector that is so critical to the national progress; oil and gas.
Dayo said the youths are ready to learn, lead and contribute meaningfully to the oil and gas industry and by extension, to the future of Nigeria but all they needed is to have access to opportunities.
He said”The oil and gas sector is no longer a space for only technical experts. It now demands a multi-disciplinary approach—involving engineers, policy analysts, digital innovators, environmental scientists, legal minds, and even community mobilizers. Our youth and students must be equipped with the tools not only participate in this space but to innovate within it.”
The president of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, Oladoja Olushola urged the students to take the opportunity presented by PTDF with seriousness, curiosity, and a spirit of innovation, adding”You are not just beneficiaries-you are torchbearers for the next generation of professionals who will shape the future of Nigeria’s petroleum industry and beyond.”.
