U.S. Commercial Service Launches New Simulation Technology for Nigerian Petrochemical Industry

Peace Obi
The Foreign Commercial Service of the U.S. government which works to promote the expansion of U.S. trade and investment to Nigeria through support of business partnerships between American and Nigerian companies recently launched a new training, Simulation Solutions by a USA-based Simulation Solutions, Inc. According to a statement by the U.S. Commercial Service, the training was aimed at strengthening the skills of process operators working in Nigeria’s refinery and chemical industry.

“Simulation Solutions is a leading provider of PC-based dynamic simulation training programmes for process operators in the refinery and chemical industries, as well as for government and academia. The company’s INSTO™ 5-Step Process Technology Operator Training for professionals has been used by downstream oil firms all over the world to improve significantly plant efficiencies.”

In his opening remarks, the U.S. Consul General, F. John Bray hinted that for Nigeria to overcome its current economic challenges, it must find ways to diversify its economy while improving firm-level productivity. He encouraged participants to actively engage with Simulation Solutions to improve their organisations’ bottom-line profitability.

Simulation Solution’s Nigerian partners, Benel Energy and Hommaston Limited made the case why this training is critical for the economic well-being of Nigeria’s refinery and chemical sector. The President of Simulation Solutions, Inc., Don Glaser along with the Project Engineer, Matthew Garvey, showcased the Simulation Solution’s patented training programmes, which combine collaborative classroom techniques with innovative simulator exercises to achieve a “Hands-On/Minds-On” work ethic among students.

Over 60 representatives from across Nigeria’s petrochemical sector, including officers from Nigeria’s national oil company, regulatory agencies and parastatals, as well professionals drawn from private refineries, training institutes and academia, learned how companies can effectively operate their plants without accidents and downtimes, saving costs and improving profitability. U.S. Commercial Service Counsellor Brent Omdahl anchored the event.

Audience participants expressed keen interest in establishing a partnership with Simulation Solutions, so as to find ways to adapt the simulator training programme for their individual operations. Academic speakers encouraged a gradual introduction of the training programme into technical and executive skills curricula. In the coming months, the U.S. Commercial Service in Nigeria will continue its support for Simulation Solutions and its Nigeria partners as they roll out training programs at interested organisations across the country.

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