(Report from Ministry of Foreign Affairs) The Executive Secretary of Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Dr. Oluwole Oluleye has commended Nigerian Missions abroad for rendering effective consular services to Nigerian students, especially PTDF- sponsored students.
He gave this commendation when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Aminu Bashir Wali, on 5th June, 2014 in Abuja.
The PTDF’s boss noted that his organization has the mandate to build capacity in oil and gas industry hence the need to send students around the world, for example, to China, Norway, Malaysia as well as the United Kingdom.
Dr. Oluleye then solicited for more support and assistance from Nigeria’s Missions, stressing that they were the “first line of defense and protection.”
In his response, the Minister thanked his visitor and noted that the PTDF management has been applying funds properly to sponsor students, takes good care of them, thereby forestalling their exposure to consular problems.
He also used the occasion to stress the need for organizations who send students abroad to properly fund them, keep track of them and ensure that they return home on completion of their studies.
Amb. Wali then called for a more symbiotic relationship and better cooperation between the Ministry and Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
It would be recalled that PTDF was established by Act No 23 of 1973 to replace the former Gulf Oil Company Training Fund Act for the purposes of training Nigerians for the petroleum industry. Subsequent amendment was effected to PTDF in 1990 and it became a full functional Parastatal of Government in September, 2000.
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