Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), Dr. Abiodun Essiet, has engaged the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), Prof. Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu, on strategic investments in human capital, skills development and research to strengthen Nigeria’s workforce and create greater opportunities for young people, particularly in the North Central region.
Essiet made the engagement during a courtesy visit to the PTDF Executive Secretary, where she discussed opportunities for the Fund to further contribute to skills development, employment creation and human capital development among young Nigerians.
She acknowledged the important role PTDF has played over the past two decades in bridging human capacity gaps in Nigeria’s petroleum industry through its merit-based and inclusive scholarship programmes and research interventions.
The programmes have supported undergraduate students within Nigeria as well as postgraduate studies, including Master’s and Ph.D. programmes abroad, contributing to the development of skilled manpower for the country.
Essiet noted that PTDF’s intervention goes beyond the provision of scholarships, as the Fund also track the progress of beneficiaries to ensure that investments in education translate into meaningful human capital development and contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
She also explored opportunities for PTDF to expand practical skills-development programmes for young and unemployed Nigerians as part of efforts to address unemployment and the skills gap.
According to her, such programmes could equip beneficiaries with relevant industry-ready skills and, where appropriate, provide start-up kits to support their transition from training to sustainable livelihoods.
Essiet said greater investment in practical skills acquisition would provide young Nigerians with opportunities to build sustainable livelihoods while complementing ongoing efforts to strengthen the country’s human capital base.
The engagement comes as PTDF prepare to commence applications for its annual scholarship scheme, which provided opportunities for qualified Nigerians to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies in fields relevant to the petroleum industry.
The Executive Secretary, Prof. Aliyu, expressed appreciation for the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noted that the administration’s backing has continued to strengthen PTDF’s capacity to fulfil its mandate and advance innovative approaches to human capital development.
