The Government Technical College (GTC), in Rivers State, is receiving an infrastructure improvement thanks to TotalEnergies Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, which has received praise from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
According to NCDMB, TotalEnergies' dedication to human capital development, or HCD, is demonstrated by the projects, which also include the building of a technical workshop, a dormitory with 200 beds, and a 25-block classroom.
Speaking at the ceremony to officially break ground in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, confirmed that the Board had created a policy that allots 60% of the budget for major oil and gas projects' human capacity development to the improvement of training institutions.
He said under the guideline, a large chunk of the HCD commitments on projects will be channeled towards the upgrade and provision of facilities in institutions that train relevant workforce for the oil and gas industry, adding that the remaining percentages will be applied to other human capacity programmes.
The Executive Secretary, who was represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS), Mr. Patrick Daziba Obah, stressed that the Board has placed emphasis on human capital development.
He underscored the key roles that technical, vocational education and training (TVET) play in the development of skilled craftsmen who are required for the delivery of projects in the oil and gas industry and the growth of Nigerian Content in the industry.
However, in his remarks, the Managing Director, TotalEnergies, Mike Sangster explained that, “the projects are designed to upgrade standard of infrastructure in the school, create good learning atmosphere, improve standard of living for the students and equip vocational students with life skills.”
Sangster, who was represented by TotalEnergies’ Deputy Managing Director, JV Asset, Mr Guillaume Dulout, noted that, “the project represents our full alignment with the initiatives of the NCDMB Board to develop technical expertise and professionalism in the Nigerian oil & gas sector.”
He disclosed that TotalEnergies’ Ikike project which had its investment decision in 2019 had achieved first oil recently and this was recorded without any lost time injury or incident and with significant local content milestones.
“As expected, the success recorded by Ikike demonstrates teamwork at its best. This is what TotalEnergies and our partners want to replicate as we deepen our collaboration with NCDMB in the area of technical education, with the ground breaking today.”
The NCDMB team to the ground-breaking event included, the General Manager, Capacity Building Division, NCDMB, Dr Ama Ikuru and they visited the ongoing revamp of the Principal and Teachers quarters at the College, being sponsored by the Board.