The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) is to partner the Federal University Utuoke, Bayelsa State in the training of 92 artisans in various construction skills.
The Executive Secretary of the Board, Engr. Ernest Nwapa disclosed this recently in Yenagoa when he received the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Mobolaji Aluko who paid him a courtesy visit.
He explained that the training which will be held at the university premises will be conducted for practicing artisans in key areas of carpentry, tiling, scaffolding, iron bending, plumbing, electrical installation, painting and mason and will involve classroom and practical exercises for 14 weeks.
Part of the curriculum will include entrepreneurial courses designed to help the participants run successful businesses thereafter. This module of the programme will be taught by staff of the university.
According to the Executive Secretary, part of the Board’s mandate is to develop the capacity of young Nigerians to take up responsibilities in the oil and gas and allied sectors, hence the decision to improve the skill levels of select artisans to the level required by the oil and gas sector.
He regretted the dwindling number of well-trained Nigerian artisans such that the industry had been swarmed by citizens of neighboring West African countries and advised young Nigerians to renew their interest in skill oriented professions as they had several opportunities and career fulfilment.
Nwapa further assured that the collaboration will mutually benefit the Board, the university and Bayelsa State.
In his response, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Aluko commended the Board for the laudable initiative, adding that the institution was 80 per cent ready for the programme and had provided offices, lecture halls, stores for storage of tools and equipments.
He promised that the artisans will be treated as regular students for the duration of their stay at the university.
In his comments, the General Manager, Capacity Building, NCDMB, Engr. Omorede Oviasu confirmed that the Board had engaged three consultants to carry out the training programme and had taken delivery of the first sets of tools and equipments.
Oviasu also expressed hope that the programme will start before the end of July 2014.At the conclusion of the training, the artisans will be absorbed into the construction of the Board’s 17-storey headquarters building in Yenagoa to enable them put the knowledge they would have acquired into practice.
