Besides implementing its mandate which is to train and educate Nigerians in the oil and gas industry, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has embarked on the upgrade and development of infrastructure in the country's higher institutions and which are at various stages of completion.
The Executive Secretary, PTDF, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye made this known on Friday in Abuja while presenting the mid-term progress of the Agency from May, 2011 to date at the 2013 Ministerial Platform.
Oluleye told his audience that the Fund has commenced the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe and that construction work has progressed from 45percent to 90 percent completion within the period under review.
Some of the projects as well as their various stages of completion at the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe include the Construction of Hostel 'B': 94% completed; a Library Building; and Construction of Road '10': 100% completed.
The Executive Secretary, PTDF also informed that infrastructure development at the Federal Polytechnic, Bonny has progressed from 35 percent to 54 percent completion with the construction of a Library Building and Access Roads in the Institution.
In addition, the PTDF Boss noted that his Agency is also establishing a National Institute of Petroleum Policy and Strategy (NIPPS), Kaduna. There, he said the PTDF is constructing access roads, an administrative building, a Library Building, Technology Centre and an International Conference Centre.
At the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Dr. Oluleye disclosed that both Educational upgrade and Organizational upgrades have been completed. He however stated that the infrastructural upgrade of the Institute is still on-going and has progressed from 56 percent to 87 percent completion.
Other interventions by the PTDF within the period under review include the training of over 3,233 trainees and scholars in various human capacity programmes; while the training of another 1,646 are on-going; and 60 are about to commence.
Also, under the PTDF Annual Oil and Gas Research Grant Competition, 5 Researchers were awarded Grants in 2011 to carry out research in Oil and Gas related areas. In addition, the PTDF Executive Secretary said three breakthrough results from the period under review are as follows: Software application in wellbore for management of reservoir optimization; Synthetic development of locally sourced bentonites as additive in drilling mud and Synthetic development of fuel briquette from water hyacinth Cow dung mixture.
Similarly, 5 Researchers were awarded grants in 2012/2013 as follows: Immobilized Oil Degrading Micro-organisms in local cellulosic materials for rapid deployment in Bioremediation of Petroleum contaminated soils; Hydrocarbon Source Rock evaluation in the cretaceous to Neogene Basins of Southern Nigeria and implication for Niger Delta petroleum systems; Development of Bentonite Minerals as Drilling Mud in the Petroleum Industry; Development of Novel Technology for diagnosing and remediating problems associated with Oil fields, reservoir souring and corrosion in the Petroleum industry and the Development of Biofuel Technology from locally source cellulosic materials.
In the area of Overseas Scholarship Scheme (OSS) which comprises Masters (MSc) and Doctorate (PhD) the PTDF says 761 scholars have graduated with M.Sc and 116 with PhD degrees and 341 Masters Degree scholars will complete the programme at the end of the year 2013 while 287 PhDs would be produced in the next two years.
For its Local Scholarship Scheme (LSS), 7 more Universities had been added to the 10 existing ones during the period under review giving a total of 17. The PTDF said351 students were awarded local scholarships.
The Fund has also facilitated University Lecturers' Skill Enhancement Training Programme (ULSETP), Industry Based Training; Security Training, Vocational Training, Under-Water Welding Training, Drilling Engineering Training Programme, Opendtech Seismic Interpretation Software Training; PTDF Post Amnesty Capacity Building Programme; PTDF Post Amnesty Vocational Skill Training Programme and PTDF Special Training & Educational Scheme in Helicopter Piloting & Air Surveillance Security.
The PTDF is also establishing ICT Centers across the nation's institutions of learning to provide students' access to ICT for enhanced learning and research. The Fund informed that it has built 146 ICT Centres in Universities, Federal Colleges of Education and Unity Schools spread across the Country before 2011 under Phase 1 of its intervention. It stated that 75 percent of the Phase 1 have been equipped while ICT Centres for Phase 2 projects are located in 67 schools, out of which 75 percent have been completed and equipped.
Federal Republic Of Nigeria | nigeria.gov.ng
PDP is definately a political party that is ready to do things the right way but they keep keeping the bad eggs of the party close to them so Elikem is as a SORRY .