The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Nigerian Institution of Petroleum Engineers (NIPetE) to enhance the oil and gas industry through capacity building.
During a recent meeting in Abuja with a delegation led by NIPetE’s National Chairman, Prisca Kanebi, Lokpobiri emphasized the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with the institution in key areas. These include capacity building in universities and improving professional practices aimed at increasing and sustaining oil production in Nigeria.
Kanebi formally invited the minister to NIPetE’s 3rd annual conference, which will be held on October 31 and November 1 at the Abuja Continental Hotel. She outlined the institution’s goals, such as fostering collaboration between industry and academia, monitoring educational and professional standards, and encouraging major oil companies to sponsor training equipment and laboratories in universities.
Kanebi also highlighted NIPetE’s initiative to organize sabbaticals for academic petroleum engineers with leading Nigerian exploration and production companies. This, she explained, would enable academic experts to provide fresh insights into operational challenges within the industry.
Responding to these initiatives, Lokpobiri expressed concern about Nigeria’s current low oil production levels and stressed the importance of utilizing NIPetE’s expertise to address the challenges of boosting oil output, which is vital for the nation’s economic growth. He acknowledged the significant investments in industry capacity but noted that results have been limited, calling for a new approach to ensure Nigeria’s success in the sector.
The minister pledged to attend the upcoming NIPetE conference and proposed setting up a collaborative agenda with the institution, to be reviewed quarterly, to guide the partnership’s future direction.
