By John Ikani
The Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), in partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) as well as Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO), has commenced the training of divers for emergencies.
Delivering his speech during the commencement of the Divers Medic Technician (DMT) training held in PTI Conference Centre, Effurun, Delta State on Monday, the Principal and Chief Executive of the PTI, Dr Henry Adimula said the training would last for 10 days.
Dr Adimula who said the training was one of the major steps taken by the institute to ensure increase in local content drive, added that the DMT training has six trainees for the course.
What the PTI is saying
“The PTI has contributed its quota to Nigeria for 50 years and our goal is to make PTI an international centre for training hub, not just for Nigeria but also for Africa,” said Dr Adimula.
“One of the major thrusts of this administration is to ensure increase in local content and input of Nigerians into the various industries, especially the petroleum industry; and what we are doing today is one big step in line with that.
“This training that we are organising today, is what Nigerians go outside of the country to get.
“Though we are doing it with partnership with a foreign body, our ultimate goal is that very soon, the entire process will be conducted here in Nigeria and the certificate that will be obtained will be internationally recognized.
“The Divers Medic Technician course is focused on training first respondence in respect to any emergency arising from diving activities and the training is a 10-day intensive training that will be followed by an examination.
“The institute has a goal to align and position to be very active in the training for the availability of manpower for the Nigeria oil and gas sector; this is just the first of many wins attainable by the institution,” he said.
Training in line with NCDMB’s mandate – Official
Also speaking at the event, an official of NCDMB, Mr Muhammed Ahmed, reiterated that the training, which is the first of its kind in PTI, was in line with the local content directive given by the Buhari-led administration.
He said: “This is the first time a training is being conducted like this in PTI in conjunction with NCDMB and the board is really passionate about it.
“In line with the board’s key mandate that is industry capacity so what we are doing today is in line with that mandate.”
