A total of 91 Niger Delta youths trained by the Niger Delta Development Commission in welding and drilling technology in Turkey have been certified international welding specialists and drilling technicians.
Forty of them were trained in comprehensive international welding inspectors’ course while 51 benefited from the safety quality and maintenance training.
The programme is fallout of the partnership arrangement between the commission and the Nigerian Institute of Welding.
Presenting the certificates, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Christian Oboh, said the training was in furtherance of the commission’s capacity development programme designed to make youths of Niger Delta employable in the oil and gas industry.
“Gone are the days people say the region lacks power. With this type of training, Niger Delta youths will be able to take up such opportunities that exist in the oil and gas and other related industries,” he said.
Oboh, who disclosed that the move was in line with the transformation agenda of the government, promised that the programme would be sustained, adding: “I will appeal to the Board to double the number that we trained in 2012.”
Speaking further, the Chief Executive Officer assured Nigerians that the commission will not stop at training but also engage the graduates at the OPTS level.
He said: “We will support every effort to ensure that the knowledge you acquired is not wasted.”
He announced cash award of N500,000 each to the two graduates who distinguished themselves during the training.
On his part, the Director, Commercial and Industrial Development, Mr. Aniete Usen, described the event as most significant, as is also in line with the subsidiary investment and empowerment of the Federal Government.
Usen explained that the training is in line with the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan and the local content policy and law signed by the President
He said: “Today, the focus of the Federal Government is vocational training. We cannot hold this kind of function without appealing to various agencies to consider increase in our budget on vocational training.”
Also speaking, the President, Nigerian Institute of Welding, Chief Solomon Edebiri, described the partnership between the NDDC and the Institute on Welding, dating back to 2007 as fruitful and rewarding.
Responding, one of the graduates, John Oluwajere, thanked the NDDC for the opportunity and promised to put into practice the knowledge acquired.
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