Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) Senator Heineken Lokpobiri yesterday urged the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to complete outstanding 24 contracts of the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna State.

The Fund established the college in 2009 for Postgraduate studies, which it presently carries out as Overseas Scholarships Scheme in Europe and other countries. When the college is operational, it will train Nigerian and foreign postgraduate students and so save cost.

Lokpobiri spoke when he inspected projects awarded the college by the Fund.

He said: “I believe the time has come for us to complete whatever outstanding projects so that we will be able to use the limited resources to train more people.

“If we finalise the partnership arrangements we are making with universities in the UK, nobody who will walk into this premises and will not be satisfied with the facilities that are here. I can’t allow these facilities to delay further. “The time is now. Now that you already have your university license to start postgraduate studies, I believe you need to start with that.”

Lokpobiri also encouraged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and all other government institutions to patronise the college.

“The conclusion today is that I impressed with what I’ve seen, and this is a global standard facility that shouldn’t delay any longer.”
PTDF Executive Secretary Ahmed Aminu had told the minister that the Fund awarded 87 contracts to the college, 63 of which have been completed.