Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: Functional Education in Petroleum Engineering in Nigeria: Expectations and Benefits
by Idigbe, K. I and Onwuachi-Iheagwara, P. N

Abstract:
The educational system for the training and capacity development of our engineers in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria, has greatly decayed to a low level. We see a critical shortage of skilled staff of relevant experiences, in the mid-level, and subsequently, top management positions, needed to effectively drive operations and grow assets, in the Petroleum Industry. This is particularly evident in the Marginal Fields and small indigenous companies in Nigeria. In this paper, we seek functional education for petroleum engineering in Nigeria, with new trends in training, capacity building, and best practices, to fully drive and sustain growth and emerging expectations in the future oil and gas industry. We posit critical decisions to define future direction of engineering education, especially, petroleum; admission requirements for entry level students; and inclusive synergy for all stakeholders, are major requirements to functional education in Nigeria. We present ideas, and infer that best practices, with effective synergy among stakeholders, hold the key to grow and sustain quality petroleum engineering education in Nigeria. Centres of excellence in capacity building are proposed to deliver the needed human resource to qualitatively drive the future oil & gas industry to excellence. Functional engineers will be available for employment; leading to sustainable growth of the petroleum industry, especially, for the indigenous companies, expected to play greater role in growing reserves for both crude oil and natural gas. Being the major sources of our GDP, the economic impact of these additional reserves of petroleum resources, from the functional education of potential petroleum engineers, will greatly accelerate the transformation agenda of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the availability of more funds to the government, to drive development.

Keywords: training, capacity building, functional education, functional engineers, GDP, Nigeria.

Download full paper