PTDF's Ibe Kachikwu Heads Committee to Enhance Skills Centre

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has inaugurated a high-level committee to develop a framework for the operationalization of its Centre for Skills Development and Training (CSDT) located in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The committee, chaired by Prof. Ibe Kachikwu, is tasked with reviewing the centre's operations, creating industry-focused curricula, and establishing pathways for employment and entrepreneurship.

This initiative follows a skills audit by PTDF that revealed significant shortages of qualified technical manpower in Nigeria's oil and gas industry. During the inauguration in Abuja, PTDF Executive Secretary Prof. Shuaibu Aliyu stated that the centre is approximately 98 percent complete and includes various facilities such as an administrative building, auditorium, library, hostels, staff quarters, canteen, and essential infrastructure.

Kachikwu expressed gratitude for the trust placed in the committee and emphasized the importance of skills development for economic growth and local participation in the energy sector.