The first edition of the Senior Staff Transition Programme (SOTP) organised for personnelof the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has ended in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The month-long training which was conducted by the Emerald Energy Institute for Petroleum and Energy Economics-a specialised school of the University of Port Harcourt- was facilitated by resource persons drawn from the academia, oil and gas industry and management consultancies.
Speaking at the graduation and prize giving ceremony in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Ernest Nwapa explained that the programme was conceived with a view to build the capacity of its senior staff to enable them contribute to the realization of the Board’s mandate.
He underscored the importance of well-trained manpower to realizing the Board’s mandate, which includes building human and industrial capacity in the oil and gas industry, creating jobs through industry operations and opening the oil and gas industry to the Nigerian people.
The Executive Secretary who was represented by the Director of Finance and Personnel Management, Alhaji Mamudu Mustapha stated that the SOTP was modelled after a similar programme of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and was aimed at preparing senior officers to deliver on supervisory roles as a prelude to ascending to the managerial cadre.
He commended the participants for excelling in the training and pledged management’s commitment to sustain the programme and include select personnel from the Board as part of the faculty.
Mustapha further charged the participants of the programme dubbed Course 001 to apply the knowledge they acquired in their roles in the Board and expressed hope that they would grow to become managers in no distant time.
In his speech, the Director of the Emerald Energy Institute, Prof Wumi Iledare commended NCDMB for initiating the programme, which he described as a good strategy of bridging the capacity gap that existed in the oil and gas industry.
In his comments, the Coordinator of the Programme, Dr. Chijioke Nwaozuzu commended the participants who were drawn from different divisions of the Board for applying themselves during the programme and coming out with good grades.
Prizes were handed out to deserving participants, with Obinna Ezeobi of the Public Affairs Division emerging the overall best among the 11 participants. Uchenna Okafor of the Projects and Operations Division took the second position while Mrs. Tarilate Teide-Bribena of the Public Affairs Division emerged the third best and most consistent and punctual participant.
