The National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) has graduated 85 young engineers trained for one year under the NAPTIN Graduate Skills Development Programme (NGSDP).
Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Abuja, Thursday, the Minister of State for Power, Mr Goddy Jedy-Agba, urged the graduates to make a difference in the power sector, with a pledge that government will support for the institute.
“It is worth noting here that the federal government is committed to supporting NAPTIN by way of policy and financial resources to enable the institute to deliver on its mandate,” he said.
“This particular programme is highly recommended for our youths, sponsors, corporate bodies/organisations towards building local content.
“The more our youths acquire such skills, the more we shall see the positive impact in the operations of our power industry,” Jedy-Agba noted.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary, Power, Chinyeaka Ohaa, who was represented by the Director, Human Resources in the Federal Ministry of Power, Ken Onwumbiko, charged the graduates to use the entrepreneurial skills to create more jobs rather than seeking for jobs.
“The thing today is entrepreneurship, so you have to take this seriously.”
The Director General of NAPTIN, Mr Ahmed Bolaji Nagode, said: “By today’s graduation, NAPTIN is adding 85 graduates to the power sector workforce. To the graduates, I urge you to make use of this opportunity and be worthy ambassadors of NAPTIN.”
Giving an overview of the programme, the NAPTIN Director of Training, Engr. Muazu Aminu, said the NGSDP training, which began in 2012, is structured as a three months’ classroom session and a nine months’ field experience where trainees are split into the generation, transmission and the distribution value chain.
Aminu also said NAPTIN admitted 94 engineers in November 2019 and graduated 85 of them.
The overall best graduate is Abiodun Destiny Akarutu sponsored by Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (MESL) who is also the best in the Generation section. The best graduate in Transmission is Aluko Ebenezer Morakinyo while the best in Distribution is Opeyemi Mese Timothy both sponsored by Ekiti State Government.
According to the graduation record, Bauchi State sponsored 21 of the trainees, while Ekiti and Kebbi states enrolled 20 students each. MESL, which operates Kainji and Jebba hydropower plants in Niger State, sponsored 12 trainees, while two graduates sponsored themselves and Guinness Nigeria Plc sponsored two graduates.
In his comment, the overall best graduate, Abiodun Akarutu who was among the 12 graduates sponsored by Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited (MESL) for the 2019/2020 NGDSP session said: “NAPTIN has accorded me the ability and the opportunity to learn.
“We believe that most of us have been empowered not just to look for job but to do other things.”
