No fewer than 37 students of the
2012 edition of the Shell Universities Summer School programme have graduated
with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, virtually sweeping the awards chart.

The programme saw students from
Delta State University, University of Benin, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and
University of Port Harcourt, as well as an intern student at Shell,
participating with Miss Ikiliagwu Nonso of UNN, grabbing the Best Overall Student
Award.

Frank Nwadozie of UNIPORT, Udido
Uyim and Enwerem Innocent both of UNN were awarded the first, second and third
runners’ up, respectively.

Speaking at the closing ceremony
of the programme, recently, Manager, Geosolutions, Shell Petroleum Development
Company of Nigeria, Gabriel Nedo Osayande, expressed delight that the programme
has witnessed impressive improvements in the quality of student performance and
content of work the students are faced with annually.

Osayande said that as a programme
designed to challenge the intellectual capacity and knowledge of students in
the core oil and gas-related sciences, SPDC was more than ever before ready to
scoop most of its next generation of staff from the litany of graduates from
the annual summer schools.

The manager noted that since the
aim of the programme was to bridge the yawning gap between academic theory and
industry practice for potential employees, it was necessary that those desirous
of working in the industry take advantage of the rigorous, hands-on intensive
practical exercises and lessons offered by the summer school.

He lauded the participating
students and universities for their exceptional performances, and urged others
not privileged to participate in the programme to work hard to benefit by
committing themselves to their studies, saying that Nigerian universities
possess the required manpower to fill industry gaps.

In his remarks, Interim Director,
Geosciences Centre of Excellence, University of Benin, Dr Keinde Ladipo,
expressed satisfaction with the quality of performance of the students selected
for the summer school, saying that with the knowledge acquired at the camp, he
has no doubt that the students would be better prepared going forward in their
career.

Ladipo emphasised that the
Geosciences Centre of Excellence, when completed, would give undergraduate
students ample opportunity to further their graduate studies in more practical
setting.

The Tide learnt that UNN, UNIBEN
and UNIPORT presented 10 final year students each while DELSU had six students
with one intern from SPDC, who participated in this year’s session, each with
an CGPA of between 4.0 and 5.0.

Each of the participating
students, The Tide learnt, were selected as the best graduating students from
the oil and gas-related disciplines in the various universities, including
geosciences, geophysics, physics, petroleum and petrochemical engineering,
mechanical and civil engineering, mathematics, electronics and electrical
engineering, among others.