The federal government has inaugurated technical working groups (TWGs) to ensure that gas entrepreneurial skill is infused in the curriculum of technical colleges in the country.
Nicholas Ella, the permanent secretary at the federal ministry of petroleum resources, inaugurated the groups in Abuja on Wednesday.
Ella said that the move would enhance technical education in the country.
NAN reports that the groups include the national gas expansion programme (NGEP) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
The permanent secretary emphasised the need for innovation in the technical education sector, noting that many institutions lagged in adapting to global technological advancements.
“Today’s graduates must possess not only technical skills, but also soft skills that prepare them for entrepreneurship,” he said.
“Globally, it is now a norm that graduands of technical colleges possess soft skills that make them entrepreneurs as soon as they leave the institution.
” There is a deliberate effort of those nations to introduce specialised skills into the curriculum of higher institutions, especially technical college that bridges the skill gaps in key sectors of the economy.
“Technology and innovation are driven by people, and as such it behoves on us to make that conscious effort to now introduce specialise training modules to our technical colleges’ curriculum.”
Ella said that the TWG’s primary objective is to develop and design a comprehensive curriculum aimed at training gas entrepreneurs in monotechnics and polytechnics across Nigeria.
He said this would cover various aspects of the gas value chain, including LPG, CNG, LNG, and biogas, adding that the group is tasked with evaluating the current capacity of technical institutions and proposing necessary upgrades to facilitate the new training scheme.
“The term of reference also stipulates a timeline for the group to submit its report by November 15, ensuring timely implementation of the gas entrepreneurship scheme,” he said.
