The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has established guidelines that ensure the reinforcement of training institutions will get 60% of the Human Capacity Development (HCD) expenditure on key oil and gas projects.
The Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Simbi Wabote, spoke at the ground-breaking ceremony for the Government Technical College (GTC) in Rivers State’s infrastructural upgrade, and he commended TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited for starting the construction of a technical workshop, 200-bed hostel, and 25-block classroom.
Wabote made a suggestion that, in accordance with the guidelines, a significant portion of the HCD commitments to projects will be used to upgrade and provide facilities at institutions that train the necessary workforce for the oil and gas industry, with the remaining percentages of the HCD budget going toward other human capacity programs.
The Executive Secretary noted that the Board has prioritized human capital development while being represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS), Mr. Patrick Daziba Obah.
He emphasized the vital responsibilities that technical, vocational education and training play in creating the skilled craftsmen needed for project delivery in the oil and gas industry and the expansion of Nigerian Content in the sector.
According to him, the presence of competent and skilled Nigerian craftsmen will lessen both the country’s reliance on foreign craftspeople and capital flight.
He ordered TotalEnergies to make sure all the projects at GTC Port Harcourt are finished quickly and to insist on installing top-notch industrial equipment at the school so the students can get the necessary skills that will prepare them for field work.
Additionally, he ordered the business to make sure that a sustainability and maintenance strategy is in place to support the workshop, including the provision of essential spare parts for the equipment to ensure that the teachers and instructors are trained to use any equipment that will be installed in the school.
The head of NCDMB requested the school’s administration, faculty, and students to offer the contractors managing the upgrading projects their fullest support and to ensure the safety of the on-site personnel.
He insisted, “You have to be successful for these programs to succeed.
The Executive Secretary also commended TotalEnergies management for producing the first oil from the Ikike project, noting that the company had shown true leadership in the development of Nigerian Content by continuing to invest in Nigeria and making significant progress in Nigerian Content at a time when other operators were selling their holdings in Nigerian oil fields.
The projects, according to the Managing Director of TotalEnergies, Mike Sangster, are intended to improve the infrastructure of the school, foster a positive learning environment, raise students’ standards of living, and give vocational students life skills.
Sangster continued, “The project demonstrates our full alignment with the goals of the NCDMB Board to enhance technical skills and professionalism in the Nigerian oil and gas sector,” who was represented by Mr. Guillaume Dulout, Deputy Managing Director, JV Asset, TotalEnergies.
He said that the TotalEnergies Ikike project, which received investment approval in 2019, recently produced its first oil without any incidents or lost time injuries and with strong local content milestones.
“As anticipated, Ikike’s achievement shows the best examples of teamwork. With today’s groundbreaking, TotalEnergies and our partners hope to build on this as we expand our partnership with NCDMB in the field of technical education.
