The Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum matters, Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah has commended the sustainable development efforts of the NNPC/TEPNG Joint Venture.

Dr. Egbogah made the remarks at the commissioning of the Institute of Petroleum Studies (IPF) main administrative building, a strategic community development project at the University of Port Harcourt, built and donated by the NNPC/TEPNG joint venture to the communities in Rivers State. He lauded the initiative of the JV and impressed on the JV to continue to provide such infrastructural development to the communities in the Niger Delta.

The IPS building project was started in 2004 and was completed in 2009. The establishment of the Institute of Petroleum Studies by the JV at the University of Port Harcourt in collaboration with the French Petroleum Institute (FPI) is to train high level manpower and has been of immense benefit to the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

In addition to the existing Master’s Degree Programme in Petroleum Engineering and Project Development, whose previous past set of graduates are all 100% employed, the JV has introduced a new programme for the award of Post Graduate Diploma in Petroleum Engineering specifically and exclusively for Engineering graduates from the host communities.

This is to enable graduates from this Programme to be able to compete favourably with their peers in other parts of the country for employment in the oil and gas industry. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Managing Director, PHC District TEPNG, Mr. Roger Poirier, who represented the Managing Director, TEPNG. Also the DMD Corporate Affairs, Mr. Alek Musa and Mr. John Addeh, the Executive Director, External Affairs, TEPNG were also in attendance. Others included Professor Ajienka, the Director IPS, Traditional rulers and other dignitaries.