Mudiame University Wielding Institute to Boost Nigeria’s 70% Local Content Aspiration, Trains for Shell, NCDMB

Managing Director of Mudiame International Limited and founder, Mudiame University, Prof. Sunny Eromosele Eboh and other key players in the oil and gas sector have said Mudiame University and the Mudiame Wielding Institute will be critical to local content development in the country, especially in the oil and gas and other sectors of the economy.

Eboh, who stated that capacity development, backward integration and local content, economic prosperity will remain key to harnessing the nation’s resources, added the university and the institute will bridge capacity gap and address the challenge of brain drain.

With over 40 students currently in the University to be trained through the institute for Shell Nigeria and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board under a contract anchored by Dorman Long Engineering, Eboh said the move would boost local capacity, reduce expatriate quota and help the country conserve foreign exchange.

According to him, the one year vocational training covers intensive classroom and workshop practical learning as well as on the job training in the areas of Electrical Engineering & Drafting; Quantity Survey; Civil Engineering & Drafting; Project Management; ICT & Telecom; Welding; Fitting Electrical Installation; Scaffolding; Lifting & Rigging and Carpentry.

Speaking during the kickoff ceremony of professional and vocational training of community youths in Assa North-Ohaji South Project, Eboh said capacity development is the best way to unlock the economic prosperity of the country.

Decrying the impacts of Covid-19, the professor said the pandemic has proven that domestication, backward integration and local content development must be a priority for countries and organizations.

While stressing that the country is only suffering from capacity to develop it’s resources, Eboh said: “We took a decision about 20 years ago to invest in human capacity development. We realized that we need to empower the workforce of the present and of the future. Skills development is a currency that will continue to appreciate and today we have sharpened the vision of providing needed skills for technological development in Nigeria by becoming a leading destination for service provision and skill development in the oil, gas, construction and aviation sector to floating the Mudiame University.

He said there was need to empower oil community to take part in oil and gas operations, adding that the training would reduce import of expatriates, conserve foreign exchange and drastically reduce unemployment in the region.

The SP Manager, Shell Nigeria Dr. Adekoya Adebanjo said the training was part of recommendation by NCDMB to boost capacity of oil communities where oil projects are initiated.

He said the gas project on the backdrop of the training would drastically improve gas resources in the country and provide and strengthen domestic gas utilization while providing gas resources for industrial activities.

Adebanjo urged the participants to prioritise the initiative, adding that the company would continue to invest in the development of oil communities.

Also speaking at the event, Manager, Human Capacity Development, NCDMB said the country’s aspiration of 70 per cent local content in the oil sector is achievable.

She added that agency was passionate about the project and would continue to strengthen human capability development in the sector.

Representative of Dorman Long Engineering, Akinmade Tunji said there was need to train Nigerians to acquire necessary competency to bridge the gap between the academia and the industry.