PTDF, Air Force Sign Agreement on Research, Training

Emmanuel Addeh

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise its partnership with the Air Force Institute of Technology, (AFIT), Kaduna, to enhance research and training in both organisations as well as in the oil gas industry.

At the event which took place at the Air Force Institute headquarters, Nigerian Air force (NAF) Base, Kaduna, the Executive Secretary, PTDF, Dr. Aliyu Gusau signed on behalf of the fund while AFIT Commandant, Air Vice Marshall Musibau Olatunji, represented the institute.

According to the PTDF, the development will encourage the institute to produce relevant professional military capabilities needed by the Nigerian Air force as well as the training and manpower development needed in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

Gusau, who led the management team of the PTDF to the institute said the signing of the memorandum between the organisations was meant to further solidify the cordial relationship that has existed between them over the years.

He stated that the fund has already trained a reasonable number of teaching staff that are imparting knowledge and providing leadership at various levels of the institute’s operations.

“Last time we visited, we were pleasantly surprised to realise that quite a large number of the staff had in one way or the other been involved with the PTDF. It’s a thing of pride for all of us to realise that the people in responsible positions, including the provost are products of PTDF.

“So in that light, there is so much we can do together and I believe if we work fervently, this process will lead to fruition and will be to the benefit of both institutions and to the nation as a whole,” Gusau said.

The executive secretary explained that the partnership will focus especially on the areas of engineering and marine security to improve on the security in the marine sector as well as the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

“We believe there’s synergy between what we are doing at the PTDF and what is happening in this institute. The kind of capacities they are building and the skills they are imparting both for the civil and military purposes, we believe the more this is developed the better for the security architecture of this country,” he said.

Commandant of the institute, Olatunji, in his response thanked the PTDF for taking the step to solidify the relationship that has existed between both organisations.

“The signing of this MoU is something that we are delighted about because it is going to open a new vista for our capacity development effort on training of manpower for the Nigerian air force, the Nigerian civil population, the aviation as well as the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

“We will also have knowledgeable pools of lecturers that will impart knowledge on the students for a purposeful training of graduates that will meet the needs of our industries,” he stated.

In his comments, the General Manager, Legal and Secretariat Services, Mr. Balarabe Ahmed, said going by the agreement, the PTDF will redouble its effort towards actualising its mandate of capacity building through such collaborations.

“The obligation of the partnership is to further strengthen the relationship between PTDF and AFIT in the areas of research and development, training provision of scholarship, provision of spaces within the AFIT for all PTDF trainees in terms of small and middle level manpower development for the oil and gas industry,’’ he noted.

Provost of the institute, Prof. Mohammed Dauda, an ex-PTDF scholar, said with AFIT, being the most contiguous to PTDF’s National Institute of Petroleum Studies (NIPS) facility in Kaduna, the collaboration will be of benefit to both institutions.