By Yemi Olakitan
Timipre Sylva, the minister of state for petroleum resources, claimed on Saturday in Effurun, Delta State that Nigeria loses at least 700,000 barrels of crude oil to thieves each day.
At the Petroleum Training Institute students’ 2002 graduation, he delivered the statement. The minister, who was represented by Ambassador Gabriel Aduda, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, stated that the Federal Government was working actively to reduce the threat. He claimed that the theft of crude oil had a negative effect on the country’s influx of foreign currency.
“Oil theft is thought to have cost the nation 700,000 barrels of crude oil every day. According to him, this has a negative impact on the nation’s income and the production of crude oil.
He declared that the National Assembly and the Ministry of Petroleum will work together to ensure that the PTI Act revision received the proper attention.
According to Sylva, the institute could accomplish more if the PTI Act were changed to provide it access to greater resources.
According to him, the ministry had given PTI instructions for research into, among other things, the commercialization of gas and the use of indigenous resources in crude oil extraction. The minister suggested that, in light of the swiftly evolving global technology, the institute adopt modern approaches and techniques to carry out its duties.
Additionally, Sylva counselled the institute to maintain communication with pertinent parastatal government bodies as well as domestic and foreign oil corporations for the ongoing improvement of pertinent training curriculum.
The graduates were congratulated by Sylva, who also informed them that there were job prospects in the oil and gas sector.
“The knowledge you have gained will be essential to achieving the ever-changing objectives in the oil and gas business.
The world still heavily relies on hydrocarbons, therefore I can say this with confidence, he said.
Prior to this, Dr. Henry Adimula, principal and CEO of PTI, announced that 1,156 graduates would earn degrees and certificates for the academic year 2020–2021.
Six graduates will get PTI General Welding Certificates, while 659 graduates will receive National Diplomas and 501 graduates will receive Higher National Diplomas.
“I am happy to let you know that out of these pupils, 112 graduated with honours and 380 graduated with upper credits,” he stated.
Adimula claimed that PTI had distinguished itself as a Center of Excellence for human capacity development in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria and worldwide thanks to its vision and purpose, which were based on competence and capacity.
He urged the National Assembly and significant players in the oil and gas industry to support the PTI Act’s modification. He claims that the change will allow the oil and gas institute to properly carry out its responsibilities in accordance with a general trend. The cost of paying the institute’s staff’s local and worldwide training, according to the principal, is a significant barrier.
He emphasised that “the institute’s infrastructure is currently overstretched and needs repair, innovation, and total replacement of others.”
Adimula thanked the graduates and gave them the assurance that their education had equipped them for job opportunities in the oil and gas industry, as well as in related fields and clean, new, and renewable energy sources. One of the graduates, Miss Hope Oseh, praised God for allowing her National Diploma programme to be completed successfully.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the function was one of several events planned to commemorate the PTI’s 50th anniversary. The awarding of honours to notable people, including the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, Dr. Emmanuel Sideso Abe.
