By Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Simbi Wabote, has urged the new leadership of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN) to embark on categorisation of members’ capabilities and identify niche areas in the oil and gas industry with high employment opportunities.
A statement by the board, stated that the NCDMB helmsman spoke when he received the new executive of OGTAN led by the President, Chief Sam Onyechi at the board’s headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
He acknowledged that the oil industry trainers’ body recorded significant achievements under the outgone President, Dr. Mayowa Afe and challenged the new leadership on continuous improvements and new goals. According to him, one of the focus areas should be the categorisation of members according to their capacities and certifications.
He said the exercise was a precondition for the board to consider making it mandatory for companies that seek to offer training services in the oil and gas industry to belong to OGTAN.
“OGTAN should conduct gap analysis in the industry and come up with the niche areas. It is your competitive advantage. We want information on those types of trainings where there is 60 percent assurance of jobs in the oil and gas industry,” he said.
He explained that NCDMB’s strategy for capacity building was hinged on the 60-20-20 principle, whereby 60 per cent of training programmes and budget is dedicated to skills sets that guarantee employment in the oil industry; 20 percent for the improvement of the skills of persons already employed, and 20 percent to soft skills and other general areas.
Earlier in his comments, the new OGTAN president explained that the purpose of the visit was to introduce the new executive of the association to the NCDMB management.
He stated that OGTAN has embarked on strategic transformation anchored on categorisation, certification, compliance, collaboration, competence, curriculum, and cost competitiveness.
He said the plan of the group was to promote the training of Nigerians in strategic areas that have huge employment opportunities.
