Staff development still top on NNPC agenda -GMD

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Engr. Abubakar Yar’Adua has reiterated that the development and growth of staff towards meeting world-class standards in the oil and gas industry would continue to play prominence in the agenda of the Corporation.
The GMD, who was represented by the Group Executive Director, Corporate Services (CS) Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri stated this at the graduation ceremony of the first batch of the Foundation Skills Training Programme (FSTP) held recently at NNPC Towers, Abuja.
“At NNPC, our human capital is our greatest asset which helps to define our success as a corporation. We will continue to pay special attention to our new and existing staff and continue to empower them with the right tools, resources and training required to unleash their potentials,” Yar’Adua said.
The GMD further said that the FSTP was introduced in the first quarter of 2007 by management to recover some of the lost grounds in the technical development of staff and commence a structured replenishment of the technical skill-base of the corporation.
With the massive changes going on in the oil and gas industry, Engr. Yar’Adua hopes that the training would groom and develop the future technical and business leaders of the corporation who would in the future truly actualize the vision and mission statement of the Corporation.
He however enjoined the management of all NNPC SBUs/CSUs to expose the graduating engineers and technicians to the various challenges of the operation and to ensure that they acquire the right skills and competences required for success in their respective positions.
The GMD also promised that management would do everything possible to sustain the FSTP.
The guest lecturer, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Engr. Nuru Yakubu delivered a lecture on the topic ”Sustainable Development of Skilled Manpower in the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria”.
He advocated for a globally acceptable technical and vocational education which is industry-focused through partnership which is flexible, qualitative and presented in a modular form so as to provide close direction to the trainee and the trainer.
The chief host, Group General Manager, Human Resources, Mrs Lilly Adegbite, presented the 176 Technicians/Operators and 100 Graduate Engineers for graduation.
The General Manager, Group Learning Department, Mr. Chris Osarumwemse disclosed that the FSTP was approved by the Group Executive Council to provide the new intake a common platform on which they will build careers in the oil and gas industry and rebuild the dwindling technical base of the Corporation.
He said young professionals were encouraged to drive their own development via structured guidance and self learning; monitoring, assessing and reporting capabilities to enhance career planning and development.
The NNPC FSTP is made up of the Graduate Engineering and the Technicians/Operators Schemes. The Engineering scheme consists of Engineers and Geoscientists with a minimum of B.Sc while the Technicians/Operators scheme is for graduates with National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Engineering.
Ninety-nine (99) Engineers and one hundred and seventy-three (173) Technicians who passed with a minimum of 50 per cent have since been deployed to the various SBUs and CSUs for their first assignment with the Corporation, while one Engineer and three Technicians were relieved of their appointments for failing to meet the 50 percent benchmark.