The Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Professor Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, inaugurated a high-level Committee on Operational Policy Review, Curriculum Development and Industry Integration for the Centre for Skills Development and Training (CSDT), Port Harcourt.
The committee was tasked with accelerating the full operationalisation of the Centre and strengthening Nigeria’s technical workforce for the oil and gas and wider energy sectors.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja, Professor Aliyu said the committee would review the Centre’s systems and operations, identify existing gaps, and develop practical recommendations for the optimal utilisation of the facility.
He explained that the CSDT was established in response to findings from a PTDF skills audit, which identified significant shortages of qualified Nigerian technical manpower, particularly in technical and middle-level occupations across the oil and gas industry.
The Centre was designed to provide competency-based vocational training and internationally recognised certifications for technicians, artisans and craftsmen in disciplines including welding and fabrication, electrical works, industrial safety, automobile maintenance and heavy-duty equipment maintenance.
According to the Executive Secretary, the Centre was approximately 98 per cent complete and comprised an administrative building, auditorium, library, hostels, staff quarters, a canteen, power and water infrastructure, and other essential facilities.
Pending its full commencement, the facility had been used for activities under PTDF’s Overseas Scholarship Scheme and In-Country Scholarship Scheme, as well as training programmes organised by institutions such as the Bureau of Public Procurement.
