Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, on Friday, stated that the University of Port Harcourt has taken a leading role in developing the relevant skills and competence for the nation’s oil and gas sector.
Sylva spoke on ‘Local Skill and Competency Development,’ local participation in the oil and gas sector and the critical role the OTI can play in Nigeria’s energy sphere at the graduation/award ceremony of the Offshore Technology Institute (OTI), University of Port Harcourt.
“I am glad that the Offshore Technology Institute, University of Port Harcourt, has started developing the relevant skills and competence for the oil and gas sector. I am aware that OTI Uniport is wholly a postgraduate institute that awards MSc in offshore engineering, pipeline engineering, subsea engineering, and energy access and renewable energy technology’.’
“The University of Port Harcourt is truly unique. I am overwhelmed and satisfied with the developments at the Offshore Technology Institute and I, therefore, urge everyone to accord OTI all the necessary support to meet its vision. I am convinced this graduands are industry-ready. I urge them to show and utilize their skills and competencies in the development of the Nigerian oil and gas sector.”
Sylva, who took an inspection tour of the Institute of Petroleum Studies as well as the Offshore Technology Institute, thanked the management of the university for the opportunity to present a keynote address at the grand ceremony.
Earlier, the acting vice-chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Stephen Okodudu, extolled Sylva, describing him as a glittering testament of the university’s reputation of building societal icons: “We are very glad you are here and it means a lot to us that you still remember and support this university.”
Sylva graduated from the University of Port Harcourt with distinction in English (Linguistics) in 1986.