The managing Director of Mudiame International Limited and founder, Mudiame University, Prof. Sunny Eromosele Eboh and other key players in the oil and gas sector, have stated that unless Nigeria prioritises capacity development, backward integration and local content, economic prosperity will remain elusive in the country.
Blessed with many natural resources, Nigeria’s economic outlook has remained dismal with continuous borrowing to finance activities while skills are still imported across sectors of the economy.
Speaking during the kick-off ceremony of professional and vocational training for community youths in Assa North-Ohaji South Project, held at the Mudiame University through the Mudiame Welding Institute, Eboh said capacity development is the best way to unlock the economic prosperity of the country.
Eboh said the training, initiated by Shell Nigeria alongside Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and anchored by Dormanlong Engineering Limited would enable the country’s boost local content capacity in the oil and gas industry to 70 per cent.
Eboh, who said Mudiame University would play key roles in addressing brain drain on the continent, stated that the Covid-19 pandemic has “proven that domestication, backward integration and local content development must be a priority for countries and organizations.”
While stressing that the country is only suffering from capacity to develop its resources, Eboh said: “We took a decision about 20 years ago to invest in human capacity development. We realised that we need to empower the workforce of the present and of the future.
He said there was a need to empower the oil community to take part in oil and gas operations, adding that the training would reduce import of expatriates, conserve foreign exchange and drastically reduce unemployment in the region.
The SP Manager, Shell Nigeria Dr. Adekoya Adebanjo said the training was part of recommendation by NCDMB to boost capacity of oil communities where oil projects are initiated.
He said the gas project on the backdrop of the training would drastically improve gas resources in the country and provide and strengthen domestic gas utilization while providing gas resources for industrial activities.
Adebanjo urged the participants to prioritise the initiative, adding that the company would continue to invest in the development of oil communities.
