The Cross River State Government has committed more than N700 million to train 2,000 youths across the state in oil and gas services, including internationally relevant professional certification, the Director of Research Gateway Professional Institute (RGPI), ThankGod Arong Onda, has disclosed.
Key Highlights
Cross River Government committed more than N700 million to the youth oil and gas training programme.
A total of 2,000 youths from the state’s 18 local government areas will participate.
Each participant will receive a N500,000 scholarship, according to the programme organisers.
The training covers oil and gas safety, engineering, logistics, maintenance, environmental management and related services.
Zonal training sessions will be held in Ogoja and Ikom for the Northern and Central Senatorial Districts.
The programme is designed to prepare young people for opportunities in the state’s oil and gas sector.
Governor Bassey Edet Otu said the initiative forms part of the state’s human capital development and economic inclusion agenda.
Onda disclosed this on Thursday in Calabar during the Youth Empowerment Oil and Gas Training CPD-Accredited Empowerment Programme for 2,000 Cross River youths.
He said the programme also includes a N500,000 scholarship for each participant.
According to Onda, the training is designed to equip young people with skills that could position them to participate in the oil and gas industry, particularly if ongoing efforts to reclaim Cross River’s oil wells are successful.
Training to Cover All 18 LGAs
Onda said the programme would extend beyond the initial orientation in Calabar, with zonal training sessions planned for different parts of the state.
He said training for participants from the Northern Senatorial District would take place in Ogoja, while those from the Central Senatorial District would participate in sessions in Ikom.
Beneficiaries will be drawn from all 18 local government areas of Cross River State before a final graduation ceremony.
The participants, who received safety helmets as part of the programme, were urged to take the training seriously and represent the state responsibly.
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Cross River Government Says Empowerment Must Go Beyond Certificates
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Oil and Gas, Ukpong Umoh, said genuine youth empowerment should go beyond the presentation of certificates.
Umoh said beneficiaries needed practical knowledge, technical skills, confidence and access to opportunities that could enable them to apply what they had learned.
He urged participants to consider how the skills acquired through the programme could be used to create value, address challenges in their communities and contribute to the wider economy.
Otu: Oil and Gas Offers Opportunities Beyond Exploration
In his keynote address, Governor Bassey Edet Otu, who was represented by the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, said the programme would provide opportunities for 2,000 young people through structured training and professional certification.
Otu said the theme, “Skill Up in the Season of Sweetness,” reflected his administration’s vision of ensuring that young people become active participants in the state’s economic development.
He said opportunities in the oil and gas sector extend beyond exploration and production to areas including engineering, logistics, safety, environmental management, procurement, maintenance and data services.
“Our responsibility as a government is therefore to ensure that our young people acquire the knowledge, technical competence and professional credentials required to compete effectively for these opportunities.”
The governor said the initiative also aligns with his administration’s human capital development and economic inclusion agenda.
According to him, training 2,000 youths through CPD-accredited certificate and diploma programmes represents an investment in individuals, families, communities and the future productive capacity of Cross River State.
RGPI Organises Oil and Gas Training
The programme, themed “Skill Up in the Season of Sweetness,” was organised by the Office of the Special Adviser on Oil and Gas in collaboration with Research Gateway Professional Institute (RGPI).
The organisers said the training will expose participants to areas including oil and gas exploration, safety, maintenance, production, engineering, logistics, environmental management and other specialised services.
The initiative is also expected to provide participants with professional training and certification relevant to opportunities within the oil and gas industry.
