The Rector of the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Professor Tamunoimi Michael Abbey, featured during the 4th Africa Energy and Infrastructure Forum (AEIF) 2021, organised by the African Leadership Magazine. The event had the central theme “Optimizing Partnerships and Local Content Development for Recovery and Growth” asserted that local content will help mitigate some of the problems facing Nigeria.
Prof. Tamunoimi received the African Leadership Oil and Gas Educationist of the Year award in recognition of his contributions to innovation, creativity and productivity in the education sector during the event. He also noted the local content law is not overbearing, rather it’s necessary.
“The local content law should be encouraged because it’s going to help mitigate some of the problems we see going on in some parts of Nigeria and other African countries”, he said.
Reacting to the question which aimed to see if optimization modules for local content including hiring graduates, and training of the next level of management coming up are plausible. Prof. Tamunoimi suggested that Nigeria has not optimized its local content modules and training and hiring of the next generation of oil experts coming.
“Nigeria has not optimized the oil and gas industry, what we need to do now is to start building technical experts by educating our young ones, helping them to understand exactly what goes on in the oil and gas industry by so doing they will be able to take over the industry. When that is done we will be able to say that yes, we have optimized”
He further noted that presently most analysis going in the oil industry (in Nigeria) is done abroad, experts are fetched from there to take care of certain things in the oil and gas industry.
He called for quality education, particularly real technical education that would help the citizens to be where we want them to be.
Prof. Tamunoimi spoke on the topic: Educational, Synergy And Partnership: Pathway to Nigeria Oil and Gas Infrastructure Development and Sustainable Growth” in the meeting which was held virtually and had in attendance private sector leaders, industry titans, academics leaders, and stakeholders in the energy and infrastructure industry.
He also received the African Leadership Oil and Gas Polytechnic of the Year Award, on behalf of the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny, Nigeria.
