Business
Confab To Tackle Unemployment Challenge
An International Petroleum Dawn-Stream Conference which holds in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital is expected to tackle unemployment challenges in the oil and gas sub-sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The Conference which is the third in the services is being organised by the Centre for Gas, Refining and Petrochemicals, Institute of Petroleum Studies (IPS), University of Port Harcourt, in conjunction with World Bank African Centre of Excellence and Centre for Petroleum Research and Training, would hold on August 27 through 28, 2014.
In a pre-conference briefing, the Director of the Centre for Gas, Refining and Petrochemicals (CGRP) of the University Prof Godwin Igwe, said the conference would examine issues relating to enhancing gas resources and harnessing potentials for employment in the industry.
Prof Igwe explained that the conference has the reduction of unemployment rate as its target, stressing that oil and gas being the biggest industry in the Nigerian economy should be able to substantially reduce unemployment.
The Director noted that competent professionals in the area are expected at the conference to speak on how to exploit natural resources, and train capacity to work in the petroleum industry.
According to him, the conference has: Enhancing Employment and Development Opportunities Through Gas, Petroleum Refining, Petrochemicals and Fertilizer Industries: as its theme, while Dr Timothy Okon, Group Coordinating Corporate Planning and Strategic Division, will deliver the keynote address.
He averred that all the major stakeholders in the oil and gas sector have indicated preparedness to participate in the conference and urged Nigerian government to create the enabling environment for more indigenous participation in the industry.
On what would happen to the capacity after the conference without funds, the director said the Central Bank is yet to confirm their participation but lauded the CBN Governor for accepting to support modular refineries that would be useful to the rural communities in his policy statement on assumption of office.
He lauded the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) for accepting to rut up a structure for training on gas, and appealed to the federal government to demonstrate the political will to improve the fortunes of the Nigerian youths.
Earlier, in his remark, the Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof Joseph Ajienka, represented by Dr Francis Beka, said the conference was timely and critical to the world economy and called for full participation.