Education
Yabatech launches Institute of Petroleum Technology
In a bid to address the shortage of local manpower in the oil and gas sector, the Yaba College of Technology on Wednesday inaugurated an Institute of Petroleum Technology (IPT).
Mr Ross Agazuma, the Chairman, Global Maritime West Africa Ltd., said at the inauguration that the partnership would produce world class professional technicians for offshore, mining, petroleum and related industry.
The college had in 2013 signed a tripartite memorandum agreement with the Global Maritime West Africa Ltd. and Society for Underwater Technology.
The institute is to provide energy education with special reference to technology and related disciplines through effective teaching and learning in the college.
Agazuma said that academic activities at the institute was structured into six faculties, comprising five centres namely Oil and Gas Technology Centre, Offshore Technology Centre, Centre for Risk and Safety Technology.
Others are Pipeline Technology Centre and Energy and Technology Business Management Centre.
“The mandate of this institute is to train technical professional capable of finding and extracting minerals, oil and gas from earth’s crust and processing them into useful products.
“The institute will promote knowledge through active research and publication of research outcomes and provide professional services to the national and international communities,” he said.
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Agazuma added that the institute would be the only institution that focus on specialised engineering technicians with business management in West African sub-region.
“Our mandate goes beyond our country to West Africa sub-region and to the whole Africa. Consequently, we have set our vision to become a centre of excellence in Nigeria and Africa for conducting cutting-edge research and for producing world-class professionals.
“It is well established that development and civilisation are directly dependant on the products of petroleum mining; every human activity uses tools which are products of petroleum and mining.
“We build our houses, make our farms, construct our roads, dams, factories using equipment made of metals and materials which are products of mining. Without mining, there can be no development. This is the main reason why any nation that has mineral resources is considered to be potentially rich,” he said.
The Chairman of the occasion, Mr Henry Okoro, in his speech, said that the institute would provide technical certificate to the highest level in the oil and gas.
Okoro urged the Federal Government to invest more in skilled manpower and take it seriously to bring about meaningful development.
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Earlier, Dr Margaret Ladipo, Rector of the institution, said that the college was delighted to finally achieve its dream of producing competent students for the energy sector.
Ladipo said that the partners would produce local content and make the youths employable in the oil and gas sector.
The rector said that about 60,000 dollars was needed to train a student abroad, adding with the institute now in the college, many students would be trained.
Nine members board of Trustees include Dr Margaret Ladipo as the Chairman, Mr Ross Agazuma, member and Prof. Okechukwu Ukwuoma of Society for Underwater Technology also a member.