Date Published: 04/12/10

UST tackles Niger Delta unemployment crisis

RIVERS State University of Science and Technology (UST) is currently battling to address the unemployment challenges confronting the peoples of the Niger Delta in the oil and gas sector of Nigeria's economy.

Frequent complaints by the restive youths of the oil region have been that the oil companies have not been employing them. The oil companies on their part have always been quick to say that they lack the requisite qualifications.

In a seeming frantic bid to solve the problem, UST is focusing attention on the petroleum sector with a view of producing personnel fit for ther sector at all levels.

To this end, AkanimoReports on Monday quotes the university as saying that it has received assurance from the Petroleum Technology Development Trust Fund (PTDF) for the construction of a building in the institution to boost manpower training in the oil and gas sector.

The new building will specifically house the Department of Chemical and Petrochemical Engineering in the university, according to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barineme Fakae.

Fakae disclosed this while handing over the building site to ‘Yolas Consulting,’ the firm handling the construction of the building. He, however, expressed his appreciation to PTDF for choosing RSUST, as one of the tertiary institutions in the country to benefit from the project, adding that the state-of-the art equipment being envisaged for the department would enhance the study of petrochemical engineering in the university.

He said, “As the first university of technology in Nigeria and in the Niger Delta, the choice of UST was justifiable.”

The Vice Chancellor further said management of the University has already come up with some modifications after studying the architectural design of the proposed building in view of the difficult terrain in the state, saying, “The modifications are necessary as they would guarantee adequate functionality and suitability of the building on completion.”

Earlier, representative of Yolas Consultants, Mr. Uzo Mbanefo explained that PTDF, as a government agency was primarily concerned with the development of manpower in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria .

Mbanefo said the project in the university will among other things cover the construction of the department building, provision of ancillary facilities such as boreholes, surface and overhead tanks, generator and transformer.

Other facilities, according to him include the supply and installation of Information Technology services, books and library, while laboratory and workshop equipment would also be supplied and installed in the building.

The company representative stated with emphases that work on the building will commence immediately, adding that the project is expected to be completed within twelve months.