By Edeki Igafe

The Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Effurun, Delta, has stressed the need to adopt new ways of exploring fossil fuel, using the local and indegeneous technology.

Dr Henry Adimula, the Principal and Chief Executive of the PTI, stressed the need on Friday during the matriculation ceremony of the 2022/2023 academic session of the Institute.

The matriculating students included Full-time and School of Industrial Continuing Education programme.

Adimula urged the 1,718 matriculants to rise up to the  renewed pursuit of excellence as the institute sought long lasting solutions to the challenges in the petroleum industry.

“You are among the 1,718 candidates out of the numerous applicants that were offered admission, congratulation.

“The 2022/2023 academic session marks the beginning of the post-Jubilee era of the institute. PTI celebrated 50 years of impactful existence in producing viable manpower for the oil and gas industry.

“Fortunately, you are the first matriculants in the post-Jubilee era. I, therefore, implore all of you to rise up to the renewed pursuit of excellence as we seek long lasting solutions to the challenges in the petroleum industry,” he said.

The principal said that the process for repositioning the institute to better actualise its mandate was at the advanced stage and assured that the students would benefit immensely from it when fully implemented.

He also said that the institute’s focus for its post-jubilee era was to integrate its hands-on training model with greater emphasis on creativity and innovation.

“I hereby call on all staff and students of the PTI to be ready for this new shift in our training model.

“Students projects and staff research groups will be tailored toward solving particular problems in the industry and our immediate environment,” he said.

Adimula further said that the vision of PTI was to become the leading oil and gas technology institute in Africa.

He added that the mission was to provide competent technological human resources through quality training, research and consultancy for the oil and gas and allied industry.

The principal said that the institute had been working in line with its vision and mission in the past 50 years.

He assured that the institute had the best workshop, well equipped laboratories, training equipment and facilities in the sub-Saharan Africa.

The principal said that PTI was a centre of excellence in the petroleum industry in Nigeria, adding that it provided leadership, best practices, research, support and training for the petroleum industry.

Adimula therefore urged the students to adhere strictly to the Institute’s academic standard as well as its rules and regulations so as not to fall short of the its requirements and rules.

He also advised the students to always follow the proper channels of communication to air their grievances.

He, however, warned the students against examination misconduct, bullying, cultism, certificate forgery, stealing, indecent dressing, physical abuse, use of drugs and misuse of social media, among others.

One of the matriculants, Mr Mrefe Oscar of the Computer Engineering Technology, told newsmen that he had great passion in building programming, adding that the passion informed his decision.

“I do a lot of programming and that passion drives me to study Computer Engineering,” he said.

Oscar said that his target was to

graduate as the best student in the Institute. (NAN)