In a mission to find a suitable location for the establishment of the APPO Regional Training and Research Centre of Excellence for African oil and gas producing countries, a delegation from the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO) visited the PTDF-established Centre for Petroleum and Energy Studies (CPESK) in Kaduna.

Secretary General, APPO, Dr Omar Farouq Ibrahim who led the inspection team to Kaduna said that the visit was in conformity with the organization’s mission to promote collaboration among its members by establishing regional training and research centers throughout Africa. The Centre when established is expected to among other things address the major challenges of the Energy Transition in Africa.

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) established the college as a Premiere center of Excellence to serve as a specialized and world-class training institution for the Fund’s training and human capital development programmes, to provide state-of-the-art training facilities and a learning environment, and to promote the growth of research, technology, skills, and relevant manpower in the oil and gas sector.

The College hosts a one-stop analytical laboratory for effective research and development activities, a renewable energy research center, gas technology, and other collaborative research and development areas. In addition to necessary academic buildings, a conference center, and an international hotel, the college already has in place important utilities such as information technology services and road infrastructures.

The African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO) visited the institution as part of its long-term strategy to study prospective regional APPO Centers of Excellence by visiting Oil & Gas Training and Research centers/Institutions in Nigeria and other member nations. The mission will also facilitate partnerships between similar institutes in different APPO member countries to advance technological education and development.

Secretary General, APPO, Dr Omar Farouq Ibrahim who described the structures in Kaduna as quite impressive also explain their mission to Kaduna “ we are on an inspection visit to facilities in APPO member countries with a view to identifying those that are in a position to be upgraded and taken as APPO centers of Excellence. That is going beyond a national institution to become a continental institution and CPESK is one of the institutions that we are advised to come and see

He said the ultimate decision will depend on how other member countries fared in the various places scheduled to be visited and evaluated by the visitation team. However, the Secretary-General is happy with the excellent structure and infrastructures that PTDF has provided for the college which he said has the potential to serve the purpose.

APPO was established on January 27, 1987 to promote collaboration and harmonization among African oil-producing countries in technology development, data collection and exchange, policy formation, and execution. The membership is comprised of fifteen countries: Algeria, Libya, Gabon, Nigeria, Benin, Angola, Congo, Dr. Congo, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, and South Africa.