A high-level delegation from Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on Tuesday visited the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State, to explore a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening technical capacity in Ghana’s oil and gas sector.
The visit, which took place at PTI’s Council Chambers, is part of Ghana’s plan to build its own centre of excellence for petroleum training by drawing on Nigeria’s over five decades of experience in hydrocarbon manpower development.
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Principal and Chief Executive of PTI, Engr. Dr. Samuel E. Onoji, the Director of Research and Development, Dr. Tina Isichei, said the Institute was ready to establish a mutually beneficial partnership with Ghana.
Dr. Isichei described the visit as timely and critical for regional solidarity in Africa’s petroleum industry, noting that PTI was established in 1972 to develop technical manpower for Nigeria’s emergence as a major player in OPEC and the global oil industry.
According to her, the Institute has trained over 50,000 personnel who are now contributing significantly to the industry in Nigeria and beyond.
“PTI is ready and glad to be of help to the Ghana National Petroleum Authority in every conceivable way, having gathered the expertise over the 54 years of the institute’s existence,” she said.
She attributed PTI’s enduring reputation to four pillars: expertise, experience, exclusivity and effectiveness, with a strong emphasis on practical, hands-on training.
Dr. Isichei noted that PTI’s curriculum is certified by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and supported by specialized facilities and experienced instructors. She listed the Institute’s key strength areas to include welding and fabrication, drilling and well control, National Skills Qualification (NSQ) certification, Skills Development Academy, firefighting, underwater welding, and research clusters.
She also invited the delegation to participate in PTI’s Annual International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology, which has promoted manpower development since 2023, and assured them of a guided tour of the Institute’s training facilities.
In his response, leader of the Ghanaian delegation and Director of Research at Ghana’s NPA, Dr. Joseph Wilson, thanked PTI for the warm reception, describing the engagement as enlightening.
Dr. Wilson said Ghana deliberately chose Nigeria as a senior partner in its quest for capacity development, citing longstanding bilateral ties and the need for stronger African cooperation.
“We are here basically to deepen capacity. For reasons having to do with regional solidarity, Ghana decided to choose Nigeria as a senior partner instead of looking outside the continental shelf of Africa,” he said.
“Nigeria, being our big brother, became our desired destination for us to seek technical assistance to set up our own centre of excellence.”
He said the proposed collaboration would cover legal frameworks, technical assistance, stakeholder engagement, consultancy services, human capital development and capacity building.
A major highlight of the visit was the tour of PTI’s specialized facilities. At the rig operations facility, the Director of Rig Operations, Engr. Lawrence Uti, explained rig operations and drilling principles, while at the flow station, Flow Station Director Engr. Austin Ogugu took the delegation through processes from the wellhead and manifold to separators and crude, gas and water chambers.
Other members of the Ghanaian delegation included Bridgette Obiri-Yeboah, Director, NPA; Mohammed Issah, Director of Policy, COMAC; Eunice Budu Nyarko, Director of Commercial Services; Sedinam Mammara, Director of Human Resources; Mudasiru Malana, Technical Aide; Saed Ubeidaleh, Head of Quality Control; Godwin Yan Konu, Director of Business Development; and George Sasu Afful, in charge of Talent Development.
The visit underscores growing Nigeria-Ghana cooperation in building the skilled workforce needed to sustain growth and technological advancement in Africa’s petroleum industry.
