From Kenechukwu Obiajuru, Yenagoa
In furtherance of Nigeria’s oil sector transformation and its aspiration to position the country as an energy hub for Africa, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has intensified strategic engagements with leading Malaysian institutions to expand its split-site training programmes for Nigerian scholars.
The engagements, led by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Ph.D, included visits to Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) and the University of Malaya, both aimed at strengthening institutional partnerships that support advanced human capacity development through split-site academic programmes.
These programmes, already successfully implemented across three universities in the United Kingdom, allow Nigerian students to undertake portions of their studies both locally and abroad, combining global exposure with domestic relevance.
Speaking during the engagements, Senator Lokpobiri emphasized that Nigeria’s energy transformation agenda is people-driven and anchored on knowledge transfer.
“As we reposition Nigeria’s oil sector for sustainable growth and competitiveness, split-site programmes provide a practical pathway for building world-class expertise while strengthening local institutions,” he said.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigerian professionals are trained to global standards while remaining deeply connected to our national energy priorities.”
The Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Mallam Ahmed Galadima Aminu, expressed commendation to the Minister for his leadership and consistent support in repositioning the sector.
He reaffirmed PTDF’s commitment to its partnership with UTP, noting that the model adoption aligns with the Fund’s broader capacity-building mandate. “We deeply appreciate the Honourable Minister’s guidance in advancing human capital development.
“Our partnership with Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, particularly within the context of split-site programmes, represents a strategic global alliance aimed at social strengthening, improved academic performance, enhanced student welfare, and overall academic excellence,” he stated.
Mallam Aminu further explained that PTDF’s engagements with both UTP and the University of Malaya are designed to support the planned modelling of the College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna (CPESK) after the PETRONAS–UTP ecosystem, which integrates education, industry training, research, and innovation within an industry-led framework.
Representing Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Prof. Dr. Benjamin Colin Cosh, the Provost of the institution, expressed the institution’s delight at the expanding collaboration with PTDF. “We are pleased to deepen this partnership, particularly through split-site programmes.
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS is uniquely positioned to deliver industry-driven capacity building for the energy sector, leveraging strong academia–industry integration,” he said.
The visit also included interactions with Nigerian students currently enrolled at UTP, providing insights into their academic journeys and industry exposure.
Their experiences further validated the relevance of the UTP and University of Malaya models to Nigeria’s ambition of developing globally competitive energy professionals.
