The Federal Government has inaugurated Technical Working Groups (TWGs) to ensure that gas entrepreneurial skill is infused in the curriculum of technical colleges.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Amb. Nicholas Ella, inaugurated the groups on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ella said that the move would enhance technical education in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the groups include the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
The permanent secretary emphasised the need for innovation in the technical education sector, saying that many institutions lagged in adapting to global technological advancements.
According to Ella , today’s graduates must possess not only technical skills, but also soft skills that prepare them for entrepreneurship.
“Globally, it is now a norm that graduands of technical colleges possess soft skills that make them entrepreneurs as soon as they leave the institution.
” There is a deliberate effort of those nations to introduce specialised skills into the curriculum of higher institutions, especially technical college that bridges the skill gaps in key sectors of the economy.
“Technology and innovation are driven by people, and as such it behoves on us to make that conscious effort to now introduce specialise training modules to our technical colleges’ curriculum,” he said.
Ella said that the TWG’s primary objective was to develop and design a comprehensive curriculum aimed at training gas entrepreneurs in monotechnics and Polytechnics across Nigeria.
He said that this would cover various aspects of the gas value chain, including LPG, CNG, LNG, and bio-gas.
The Permanent Secretary officially inaugurated the group members, which include representatives from both NGEP and NBTE.
He said that the group was tasked with evaluating the current capacity of technical institutions and proposing necessary upgrades to facilitate the new training scheme.
“The terms of reference also stipulates a timeline for the group to submit its report by Nov.15, ensuring timely implementation of the gas entrepreneurship scheme.”
NAN reports that the ceremony was attended by key stakeholders, including the Chairman of the NGEP, various directors from the Ministry, and representatives from the NBTE. (NAN)
