By Naomi Uzor

In a bid to boost the local content act and encourage participation of more Nigerians in the oil and gas industry, West African Ventures, WAV, an engineering, procurement, installation and marine charter services provider, has expended over $550,000 to train 26 young Nigerians in partnership with Chevron and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, under the Sonam Development Project Pipeline and Okan Pig Receiver Platform Transport and installation contract (SONAM/NC HCD).

The training was an intensive 20 months programme designed to achieve competence building (classroom training) as well as on-the-job training in order to raise the capacity of young Nigerians intending to work in the oil and gas industry.

Also, the tutelage plan was put in place to further ensure effective implementation of NCDMB’s human capacity development plan in the course of executing the Sonam Development Project Pipeline and Okan Pig Receiver Platform Transport and installation contract.

Speaking at a close-out ceremony in Lagos, Deputy Managing Director, WAV, Mr. Michael Amaeshike, said that the categories of professionals considered included graduates, artisans and of course, tutors selected in line with the requirement of the NCDMB human capacity development guidelines.

Amaeshike said the training was also set up in partial fulfillment of the requirement of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development, NOGICD Act 2010, which demands provision of an additional human resources capacity development – for some categories of Nigeria citizenry outside the contractor personnel – in course of executing a major project.

He said that WAV went all out to train the lucky participants given its belief in retaining value in the country since the future of the sector lies in the hands of Nigerians who are attuned to development.

The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring, Engineer Simbi Wabote, ably represented by the HCD Manager, Engineer Maurice Iwhiwhu said the training marks a water-shed in the delivery of the mandate of the NCDMB and praised WAV as well as Chevron for providing a platform for the training and development of young Nigerians.

He affirmed that the competency of all trainees was assessed quarterly at the close of training using the various NCDMB assessment evaluation sheets and were also carried out in agreement with Chevron, and the representative of the Board.