Onoji Reaffirms Commitment to Youth Skills Development As He Flags Off PTI Skills Acquisition Training
By Wilson Macaulay
EFFURUN — The Principal and Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Training Institute, PTI, Effurun, Engr. Samuel Onoji, has reaffirmed the institute’s commitment to youth empowerment and practical skills development as he officially flagged off the Federal Ministry of Education Technical and Vocational Education and Training, FME-TVET, Skills Acquisition Training Programme at the institute’s conference centre in Delta State.
Speaking during the flag-off and induction ceremony, Onoji described the programme as another major milestone in PTI’s sustained drive towards technical manpower development and economic empowerment of Nigerian youths through competency-based education.
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According to him, the initiative was carefully designed to expose trainees to practical learning, workplace ethics, safety standards, assessment procedures and quality assurance systems required in modern industries and professional environments.
He explained that the programme seeks to equip young Nigerians with practical vocational skills, occupational competence and the right mindset necessary for self-reliance and national productivity.
The PTI boss stressed that the growing realities of the global labour market now place greater emphasis on competence, innovation and practical abilities rather than paper qualifications alone.
He noted that employers and industries are increasingly looking for individuals who possess technical expertise, problem-solving capacity, teamwork spirit and the ability to safely operate tools and equipment while delivering quality services.
Onoji further stated that the FME-TVET programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through the Federal Ministry of Education, aimed at repositioning Technical and Vocational Education and Training as a critical tool for youth empowerment, employment generation, economic growth and sustainable national development.
He reaffirmed PTI’s readiness to continue providing high-quality technical training and competency-based education for the oil and gas industry and other critical sectors of the economy.
The PTI Chief Executive disclosed that the institute had successfully completed the training of the first cohort of 200 trainees under the FME-TVET programme, an achievement which contributed significantly to PTI’s recent upgrade to a Grade A Training Centre.
He described the upgrade as recognition of the institute’s excellent training facilities, quality delivery systems and adherence to national training standards.
Onoji urged the trainees to remain focused, disciplined and committed throughout the training period, reminding them that they are ambassadors of PTI and future contributors to national development.
Also speaking during the event, the Registrar and Secretary to Council of the institute, Mr. Isaac Fregene, described the programme as a strategic and transformative intervention targeted at addressing the challenge of unemployment in Nigeria.
Fregene noted that the FME-TVET initiative would help bridge existing skill gaps while accelerating industrial and economic growth across the country.
“Skill is the new currency of national prosperity,” he stated, adding that PTI remains committed to producing job creators rather than job seekers.
In her remarks, the Acting Chief Coordinator of the Skills Development Academy, SDA, Mrs. Susan E. Oyeleye, emphasized the importance of technical skills and entrepreneurship in driving economic growth and national development.
She observed that skilled individuals and entrepreneurs often identify opportunities where others see challenges and difficulties.
Oyeleye encouraged the trainees to remain determined and resilient in the pursuit of their goals, stressing that the programme marked the beginning of a brighter future for them.
“The road to success may not always be easy, but with perseverance, dedication and hard work, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel,” she advised.
In his address, Engr. Dr. Abubakar Edicha, Centre Coordinator of the National Skills Qualification Department, NSQD, disclosed that the second cohort of the FME-TVET trainees would receive intensive training in 16 identified technical skill areas.
According to him, the programme is expected to significantly contribute towards reducing unemployment among youths in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria as a whole through practical and industry-driven vocational education.
(DEMOCRACY NEWSLINE NEWSPAPER, MAY 19TH 2026)
