28/08/2026
PTDF, SSDC EXPLORE PARTNERSHIP ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Ms. Usoro Offiong Akpabio, has expressed interest in exploring joint training opportunities with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), particularly by leveraging the Fund’s Centre for Skills Development and Training (CSDT) in Port Harcourt to prepare young people in the South-South region for relevant opportunities.
Ms. Akpabio stated this when she paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of PTDF, Prof. Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu at the PTDF Towers, Abuja, where she identified the engagement as an opportunity to explore a new frontier of partnership between both institutions.
The CEO, SSDC, proposed the appointment of focal persons by both organisations to identify immediate areas of mutual interest and develop a framework for joint implementation. She noted that PTDF’s existing expertise and infrastructure could be leveraged by the SSDC to expand skills development initiatives, rather than duplicating existing structures.
Responding, Prof. Aliyu described the South-South region as a critical part of the country, noting its pivotal role in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and the significance attached to the region by the Federal Government, as demonstrated by the establishment of the SSDC.
The Executive Secretary, PTDF said the Fund is willing to extend hands of partnership to the Commission to fast-track and accelerate the achievement of their respective mandates, adding that the Fund would be delighted to partner with the SSDC.
Prof. Aliyu endorsed the proposal of appointment of focal persons by both institutions to work together in developing a framework for the areas of collaboration, setting timelines for implementation and identifying ways through which the efforts of both organisations could complement each other.
The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen skills development initiatives, expand opportunities for young people in the South-South region and contribute to the Federal Government’s broader human capital development objectives.
