Former head of state and elder statesman, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) would be honoured at the second annual international conference and exhibition of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), in collaboration with Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Speaking on the upcoming conference themed: ‘Human Capital Development: as a Driver for National Transformation’, billed to take place in Lagos in April, the president of OGTAN, Afe Mayowa, said, the body recognised the link between the quality of a nation’s workforce and its economic growth, noting that an onslaught of complex and socio-economic challenges, such as poor governance, corruption, inadequate infrastructure, outdated educational curriculum, poor funding of research centres, social unrest and increasing poverty, among others, were affecting human capital development in the country.
Identifying this gap, Mayowa said the Association would assemble resource persons to deliberate on the solutions as it relates to generating sustainable employment with a direct impact on the country’s GDP.
While it is urgent to address the widening debt profile of States and unemployment among Nigeria’s young population, he noted that OGTAN is also using the conference to address the rapid advancement of digitalisation, automation, artificial intelligence, and how they affect job security, wealth redistribution, and rising cost of implementing local content where these advancements are lacking.
Maikanti Baru, GMD of NNPC
According to him, General Yakubu Gowon who is the Chairman of the Occasion, will lead other discussants, comprising the honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu; the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Engr Simbi Wabote; and Dr Christopher Kolade, to do justice to the highlighted topics.
Award categories during the event include, ‘The Nigerian Oil & Gas Key Drivers Award’ which goes to the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru; and the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr Simbi Wabote for their various roles and quality of leadership in the oil and gas industry over the last three years.
SOURCE: leadership.ng