Cross River's Oil, Gas Skills Drive a Masterstroke for Blue Economy — ALGON

The Cross River chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) has described the state government's decision to train 2,000 youths in oil and gas skills as a "masterstroke" aimed at investing in the state's blue economy.

This is contained in a statement issued on Monday in Calabar by the association's state Chairman, Mr Yibala Inyang.

The state on Thursday began a specialised training programme to equip 2,000 youths with the professional skills and knowledge needed to tap emerging opportunities in the oil and gas sector. The programme, tagged "Skill Up in the Season of Sweetness (SUSOS)," is being organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Oil and Gas, in collaboration with the Research Gateway Professional Institute.

Inyang, who is also Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area, said the training would prepare Cross River youths to benefit from emerging opportunities in the oil, gas and maritime sectors, arriving at a critical time as the state seeks to re-establish its position in the oil-producing and maritime economy.

"It shows that the state is preparing its human capital ahead of possible expansion of oil and gas activities. Gov. Bassey Otu's Oil and Gas Skills Revolution is proof that Cross River is not landlocked but ready for take-off," he said.

He argued that the state's geographical location and maritime assets remain central to its economic prospects, regardless of previous legal and political setbacks over its offshore oil wells. Among the state's maritime advantages, he listed the strategic location of the Eastern Naval Command in Calabar, the Cross River Estuary and Calabar River system, and the state's proximity to the deep sea. He also cited oil wellheads reportedly identified during technical mapping for the proposed deep seaport project.

Inyang said the state should focus on building its citizens' capacity to participate meaningfully in the exploitation of its natural resources, describing the training of 2,000 youths not merely as an employment initiative but as an investment in the state's future workforce.

"Otu has seen tomorrow. By training 2,000 youths today, he is ensuring that when our littoral and oil-producing status is fully restored, Cross Riverians will be the engineers, safety officers, and managers of their own resources," he said.

He urged the relevant authorities to allow the ongoing scientific verification of the state's littoral status by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to proceed without prejudice, and pledged the support of the state's 18 local government chairmen for the Otu administration's People-First agenda.