The Petroleum Technology Development Fund has announced plans to establish an Information and Communication Technology centre at the proposed Command Science and Technical College in Ankpa, Kogi State, as part of a broader partnership with the Nigerian Army on technology and skills development.
PTDF Executive Secretary, Prof. Shehu Aliyu, announced the plan in Abuja during a visit by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, and senior Army officers to the Fund’s headquarters.
Aliyu said the proposed intervention followed a request from the Army for strategic support for the college, which is expected to focus on science, technology, engineering, ICT and technical education.
He said the initiative was consistent with PTDF’s mandate to develop indigenous capacity in the oil, gas and energy sectors through scholarships, research, specialized training and support for strategic educational institutions.
The PTDF boss noted that the Fund already maintains links with military educational institutions. It sponsors scholars at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna under its In-country Scholarship Scheme, while Government Day Secondary School at the Army Barracks in Yola is a beneficiary of the PTDF STEM Programme.
Aliyu said such interventions reflected the Fund’s recognition of the strategic value of military schools in producing technically skilled Nigerians.
He also requested the Army’s support in strengthening security around two PTDF Centers of Excellence: the General Shehu Musa Yar’adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Kaduna and the Centre for Skills Development and Training in Port Harcourt.
He described the institutions as national assets representing major public investment in specialized education, technical training, research and capacity development.
Responding, Shaibu said the Army was seeking stronger capability in command-and-control systems and drone technology as it adapts to contemporary security threats.
The Army chief said terrorism, insurgency and banditry had made science and technology increasingly central to military effectiveness. He said the service wanted to domesticate critical capabilities and reduce dependence on training personnel abroad.
Shaibu said the Army was interested in developing a critical mass of skilled personnel who could eventually support indigenous companies producing command-and-control systems, drones and related technologies.
He also welcomed PTDF’s intervention in Command Secondary Schools, describing education support as an important component of welfare for military personnel and their families and a means of identifying young talent for future national service.
Both institutions indicated that further collaboration would focus on technical education, specialized skills development and the protection of strategic training infrastructure.
