debosky:

This is a distraction - Nigeria does not have a lack of university grade employees in the oil industry. We have hundreds (if not thousands) of University trained people both within and outside the country, yet a lot of them are not employed.

The PTDF ALONE has trained 596 MScs and 86 PhDs ABROAD - do we need additional universities??

UNIPORT has the institute of petroleum studies (IPS) http://www.ipsng.org/about.htm do we need more university grade people?  


Low level technical manpower is our main lack. That is why companies will bring in hundreds of Filipinos, Chinese, Bulgarians and the like to do work while all Nigerians want is the 'graduate' jobs.  

There is no reason for every petroleum institution to be located in the ND, though the ones in the ND should not be denied funds for the ones elsewhere.

That said, how much has been spent on PTI?

Over 9bn in the phase 1 upgrade, with the PTDF indicating over 17bn has been spent overall on the upgrades.

The upgrade is not making the Kaduna institute a university, it is an Institute, similar to Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and will be called NIGERIAN INSTITUTE FOR PETROLEUM POLICY AND STRATEGY.

It is NOT a university - let's not get clouded by emotions here.

sylve11:

So painful, i spend most time of life in Kaduna (Zaria to be precise0) the Land  so filled with drought; No oil, but still the FG just named the low stupid National College of Petroleum Studies a University Why won't the Militants continue to explode more oil pipelines?

ow11:

Why wasn't this managerial institution established in Enugu, Makurdi, Minna, Benin-city or Owerri? Must everything be in Kaduna?

this is total madness, MEND please respond to this insult by bombing any building close to Aso rock

RuuDie:

This is hardly an issue here. . . .  Northern Nigeria is renowned for its low-level of literacy as against other parts of the country; one reason being the lack of enthusiasm of many out there to leave those regions, so trying to spread education to them is hardly criminal.
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RuuDie link=topic=300120.msg4238787#msg4238787 date=1248367510:


But is the government not being reckless/arrogant/foolish  with the timing of this move?  when there is every chance that the average ND will read tribal bias in the president's move.

Again if you want to encourage the North to be enthusiastic about education should it not rather be at the basic level first instead of this?  

debosky:

This is a distraction - Nigeria does not have a lack of university grade employees in the oil industry. We have hundreds (if not thousands) of University trained people both within and outside the country, yet a lot of them are not employed.

The PTDF ALONE has trained 596 MScs and 86 PhDs ABROAD - do we need additional universities??

UNIPORT has the institute of petroleum studies (IPS) http://www.ipsng.org/about.htm do we need more university grade people?  


Low level technical manpower is our main lack. That is why companies will bring in hundreds of Filipinos, Chinese, Bulgarians and the like to do work while all Nigerians want is the 'graduate' jobs.  

There is no reason for every petroleum institution to be located in the ND, though the ones in the ND should not be denied funds for the ones elsewhere.

That said, how much has been spent on PTI?

Over 9bn in the phase 1 upgrade, with the PTDF indicating over 17bn has been spent overall on the upgrades.

The upgrade is not making the Kaduna institute a university, it is an Institute, similar to Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and will be called NIGERIAN INSTITUTE FOR PETROLEUM POLICY AND STRATEGY.

It is NOT a university - let's not get clouded by emotions here.

RuuDie:

Quite impressive Debosky. . . .  you hit the nail on the head there!

I currently work on a project site in the ND and I can see firsthand what you're refering to - there are lots of +ves in retaining the staus quos of such institutes as the PTI but lots of people will be too myopic about it!

away4real:

Please the analysis does not pass the common sense test. It is absolutely fool hardy for the government to formulate policies without considering economic socio-political factors. The nation today is as a result of such decisions breeding unwarranted mistrust in the polity if need be why not choose a neutral place Jos, benin, Calaber etc. I totally agree it must not be sighted in the Niger Delta so please lets remove a bit of resource agitation from the arguement.

Debosky stated N9 billion has been spent in upgrading the PTI my question[b] is was that money spent on upgrading the PTI to a university[/b] so again if this is the case the whole N9 billion has just been wasted. WHy not re-align the PTI to a comprehensive robust training institution that caters for both low and high cadre professionals. There is a structure that is on ground that can be maintained ie PTI then extending the capabilities to train the so called high cadre will be easier.

The issues is not the location but the fact that there has been an initial capital outlay and economies of scale would suggest that the incremental cost in terms of both human and capital of achieving a more robust institution would be cheaper in PTI.

But again analysing the decision from a purely political perspective suggest the governement might not want to face a concentration risk again suggesting the sincerity of solving the problems in the region is not real. Its easy the government knows the problem will continue so its trying to diversity simple game theory it expects nothing to change so it opts to go far away.

I agree the upgrade of PTI to a university is unwarranted, the issue is the PTI can be improved to train both low cadre oil workers and also simultaneously or by extension have another institution for christ sake side by side train the so called "oil managers" training, cal it NIGERIAN INSTITUTE FOR PETROLEUM POLICY AND STRATEGY it that is what you want N9 billion has already been invested in building structures for this anyway.

This is just a clear case of a confused government that cant think clearly its policies. As stated earlier If need be to de-concentrate, if it must have 2 seperate institutions maybe from an administration point of view its easier to manage 2 different institutions why not choose a neutral place, Calaber, benin-city, Jos, Ilorin. The fact that the sighting of the instituion is kaduna will raise questions even in the most objective mind, questions that the government doesnt need now.

With a leader like our president taking such flimpsy and insensitive decision, God help Nigeria. the decision does not make economic or even political sense.

this is total madness, MEND please respond to this insult by bombing any building close to Aso rock

debosky:


This does not make any sense. So to prove it expects things to change it must build every institution in the ND? What kind of thinking is this? Kaduna has an existing facility in the line of policy studies - it makes sense to upgrade that into a full institute along it's current functions.

away4real:

On the rule of thumb even considering proximity to work placements, cost of moving personnel and even proximity to networking with current professionals Warri is a better option (of course this is assuming a peaceful Warri which is what the government wants us to believe they are working on.)

Yes it does, investing in a region suggest confidence. The debate did not mention every institution please.

This all goes to show why there has to be trouble makers in the form MEND and the other miscreants to wake pople up. Imagine your village without an evening or night where Gas is flared 24 hours. For heaven sake what is a petrochemical complex doing in Kaduna when there is none in Warri or Yenogoa. Citing the example of the confused minister who should know better yes there is a training institute in London but he chose not to mention the numerous in Dundee and Aberdeen.

My summary is that the Niger Delta needs investment in what ever form it can get and citing a middle and high cadre training in the region is achievable. I am not from the region but clearly the reason for what has been done is not to have two seperate institution clear in vision and mandate.

naijaking1:

@away4real
Save your breath from Debosky's euphoric rhetorics.
I have heard him say that this is not a university, and that there's no need getting emotional about it. Yes, it's not a university, it's bigger and better than a university, that's why the Katsina/Kano/Kaduna mafia want to move it closer to their home. The advantages of Warri over Kaduna in citing this project would be set aside with all vigour by those who seek dominate and control their fellow contrymen at all cost. Are we fooled

debosky:

An institute for policy is now better than a University? I worry for the quality of your arguments at times. Sentimentalism is a very dangerous trait. No University has been established in this regard, the ONLY high level Oil and Gas Institute in Nigeria with EXTERNAL collaboration is in the heart of the ND in Port Harcourt, but the upgrading of an existing institute is now something being 'moved' closer to their home.

naijaking1:

There're many universities in Nigeria. PTI is one of a kind even around Africa, and you're telling me that it's not more important and strategically better than a university? It's one thing to cloak yourself in forced eloquence, but it's quite another to exhibit deep and complex intelligence capable of making you think outside the box. You need to think outside the box sometimes.