Ghana Seeks PTI’s Expertise to Establish Oil and Gas Centre of Excellence

By Wilson Macaulay

EFFURUN, Delta State — October 20, 2026

Ghana has approached Nigeria’s Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State, for technical expertise and institutional support towards establishing a Centre of Excellence for oil and gas training, in a move aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity and advancing regional cooperation in Africa’s petroleum industry.

The initiative emerged during a high-level visit to PTI by a delegation from Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, to explore strategic partnership opportunities in technical assistance, professional training, research, consultancy services and human capital development across the upstream and downstream segments of the petroleum industry.

The delegation was led by Dr. Joseph Wilson, Director of Research at Ghana’s National Petroleum Authority, who explained that Ghana had deliberately chosen Nigeria as a strategic partner because of its longstanding experience in petroleum operations and technical manpower development.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of PTI’s Principal and Chief Executive, Engr. Dr. Samuel E. Onoji, the institute’s Director of Research and Development, Dr. Tina Isichei, expressed the institution’s readiness to support Ghana’s capacity-building aspirations through mutually beneficial collaboration.

She said PTI have more than five decades of specialised training, practical experience and technical expertise which have  positioned it to assist Ghana in developing the skilled workforce and institutional capabilities required to strengthen its petroleum industry.

“We are ready and glad to be of help to the Ghana National Petroleum Authority in every conceivable way, having gathered the expertise over the 54 years of the institute’s existence,” Isichei said.

She described the visit as an important opportunity to promote knowledge transfer, strengthen regional solidarity and encourage collaboration between African institutions seeking to develop indigenous technical capabilities in the hydrocarbon sectorlñ

Established in 1972, PTI was created to develop the technical manpower required to support Nigeria’s emergence as a major player in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the global petroleum industry.

According to Isichei, the institute has trained more than 50,000 personnel over the past 54 years, with its graduates and trainees contributing to petroleum operations and related industria activities in Nigeria and other oil-producing economies.

She said PTI’s experience in specialised petroleum education, technical training and practical skills development could provide valuable support to Ghana as it seeks to strengthen local expertise in petroleum exploration, production, processing and related operations.

Highlighting the factors underpinning the institute’s reputation, she identified four major pillars: expertise, experience, exclusivity and effectiveness.

She explained that PTI’s emphasis on hands-on training distinguishes its programmes by equipping participants with the practical knowledge and professional competence required to operate in an increasingly sophisticated and technology-driven oil and gas industry.

On quality assurance, Isichei said the institute’s curriculum is certified by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), while its specialised facilities and experienced personnel support the translation of theoretical knowledge into practical industrial skills.

She listed PTI’s areas of specialisation to include welding and fabrication, drilling and well control, National Skills Qualification (NSQ) certification programmes, the Skills Development Academy, firefighting training, underwater welding operations and research clusters.

According to her, these facilities and programmes offer opportunities for Ghanaian technical personnel to acquire specialised skills relevant to the country's evolving petroleum industry.

She assured the visiting officials that PTI would provide a guided tour of its facilities to enable them to assess its training infrastructure, equipment and operational capabilities.

Isichei also encouraged the delegation to participate in PTI’s Annual International Conference on Hydrocarbon Science and Technology, which she said had been promoting knowledge exchange and manpower development in the petroleum industry since 2023.

Why Ghana Chose Nigeria

Speaking during the engagement at PTI’s Council Chambers, Dr. Wilson conveyed greetings from Ghana to the institute’s academic community and the people of Nigeria, while expressing appreciation for the warm reception accorded the delegation.

He described the presentations and discussions with PTI management as enlightening, noting that Ghana could benefit from Nigeria’s decades of experience in petroleum training, technical education and industrial operations.

He explained that the delegation’s principal objective was to explore practical ways of deepening technical capacity across Ghana’s upstream and downstream petroleum sectors.

Wilson said Ghana’s decision to approach Nigeria was informed by the longstanding relationship between both countries, their shared regional interests and the need to promote African cooperation in strategic industrial sectors.

“We are here basically to deepen capacity. For reasons having to do with regional solidarity, Ghana decided to choose Nigeria as a senior partner instead of looking outside the continental shelf of Africa,” he said.

Explaining the motivation behind the proposed centre, he added: “Nigeria, being our big brother, became our desired destination for us to seek technical assistance to set up our own centre of excellence.”

He identified legal frameworks, technical assistance, stakeholder engagement, consultancy services, human capital development and capacity building as some of the key areas requiring collaboration.

According to him, the proposed partnership would enable Ghana to gain insights into the institutional structures, training systems and technical resources needed to establish a centre capable of meeting the specific requirements of its petroleum industry.

He expressed optimism that the visit would provide valuable information to guide Ghana’s plans, while thanking PTI management for the opportunity to examine its operations and discuss possible areas of cooperation.

Ghanaian Delegation Inspects PTI Facilities

A major highlight of the visit was a guided tour of PTI’s specialised training facilities, which provided the Ghanaian officials with practical insights into petroleum operations, drilling activities and crude oil production processes.

At the rig operations facility, the institute’s Director of Rig Operations, Engr. Lawrence Uti, explained the workings of the rig and demonstrated the operational principles of equipment used in drilling activities.

The inspection enabled the delegation to observe how theoretical petroleum education is translated into practical technical skills required in the field.

The visitors also toured PTI’s flow station, where the Flow Station Director, Engr. Austin Ogugu, explained the processes involved in handling crude oil and associated production fluids.

Ogugu took the delegation through the functions of the major components of the facility, including the wellhead, manifold, separators and designated gas, water and crude oil chambers.

He explained how the different components work together to separate and handle production fluids before crude oil proceeds to subsequent stages of processing and handling.

The practical demonstrations offered the Ghanaian officials an opportunity to examine the equipment, operational systems and technical procedures involved in petroleum production.

The tour further highlighted the importance of specialised training facilities in preparing engineers and other technical personnel for the operational demands of the oil and gas industry.

Broad-Based Institutional Representation

Other members of the Ghanaian delegation who participated in the discussions and interactive sessions included Bridgette Obiri-Yeboah, Director,  Licensing,Ghana National Petroleum Authority; Mohammed Issah of COMAC, Director of Policy; Eunice Budu Nyarko, Director of Commercial Services; and Sedinam Mammara, Director of Human Resources.

Others were Mudasiru Malana, Technical Aide; Saed Ubeidaleh, Head of Quality Control; Godwin Yan Konu, Director of Business Development; and George Sasu Afful, responsible for Talent Development.

Their participation reflected the broad institutional interests associated with the proposed partnership, encompassing research, policy, commercial services, human resources, quality control, business development and talent development.

The range of expertise represented by the delegation underscored the need for a comprehensive approach to developing Ghana’s proposed centre of excellence, with technical training complemented by institutional capacity, effective policies and professional management.

Strengthening Africa’s Petroleum Training Capacity

The proposed collaboration offers PTI an opportunity to extend its technical expertise beyond Nigeria while contributing to the development of skilled manpower across Africa’s petroleum industry.

For Ghana, the engagement could provide access to established training methods, specialised facilities and technical experience as it explores the establishment of a centre of excellence tailored to its industry requirements.

For Nigeria, the initiative presents an avenue to share technical knowledge, strengthen regional partnerships and expand cooperation with a neighbouring country seeking to build indigenous capacity in a strategically important sector.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of African institutions working together to develop local expertise, reduce dependence on external technical support and build the human capital required to manage the continent’s hydrocarbon resources effectively.

As the engagement progresses, the areas of cooperation identified by both sides could provide a foundation for more structured institutional relations, subject to further discussions and mutually agreed arrangements.

With more than five decades of petroleum training experience and over 50,000 personnel trained, PTI has presented itself as a potential strategic partner in Ghana’s efforts to strengthen technical capacity and establish a specialised centre of excellence.

The visit therefore marks a significant step in exploring how Nigeria’s petroleum training experience could support Ghana’s capacity-building ambitions while deepening technical cooperation between the two West African countries.