• Says media critical to transparency, national development
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) yesterday commenced a capacity building programme for journalists and media stakeholders, saying the initiative was designed to enhance reporting on Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and strengthen public understanding of the sector.
Speaking at the event in Lagos, the Executive Secretary of the PTDF, Prof. Shuaibu Aliyu, said the media occupies a strategic position in shaping public discourse, promoting transparency and supporting national development, stressing that journalists require a sound understanding of the technical, policy and operational issues defining the petroleum industry.
Aliyu, whose remarks were delivered by the Head of Press and External Relations of the PTDF, Kay-Hambolu Dupe Bella, said the training reflected the Fund’s commitment to promoting informed, accurate and impactful reporting on the country’s oil and gas sector.
“The media is far more than a conveyor of information; it is a strategic partner in shaping public discourse, promoting transparency, and driving national development. In an industry as technical and constantly evolving as oil and gas, effective journalism requires not only timely reporting but also a sound understanding of the policies, technologies, and issues that shape the sector,” he said.
According to him, as Nigeria’s foremost human capacity development agency for the oil and gas industry, the PTDF believes capacity development should not be limited to industry professionals alone but should also extend to those responsible for informing the public.
“By strengthening your understanding of the sector and of PTDF’s mandate, programmes and interventions, we are investing in more accurate, balanced and insightful reporting,” he stated.
Aliyu noted that the PTDF’s contributions to the industry include developing skilled manpower, advancing research and innovation, supporting local content and contributing to Nigeria’s energy future, adding that those achievements deserve to be communicated with clarity, context and credibility.
He described the programme as another step towards deepening the partnership between the Fund and the media, assuring journalists that the PTDF would continue to promote openness, engagement and mutual respect.
In his opening remarks, the Group Managing Director of Better Ways, Dr. Victor Dare, underscored the strategic importance of the oil and gas sector to Nigeria’s economy, noting that it accounts for about 65 per cent of government revenue.
Besides, he stated that it is responsible for over 85 per cent of export earnings and roughly 90 per cent of foreign exchange earnings, despite contributing less than 10 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He noted that the complexity of the petroleum industry, coupled with ongoing reforms and evolving global energy trends, has made specialised journalism increasingly important.
According to him, journalists covering the sector must continuously update their knowledge to effectively interpret technical issues and communicate them to the public in a clear and accurate manner.
He listed key developments dominating energy reporting to include the implementation of Executive Order 9 on revenue remittances and management, debates over Nigeria’s oil production targets, calls for amendments to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the transition to a low carbon economy, geopolitical tensions affecting the petroleum industry and other strategic reforms.
Dare explained that the workshop was designed to retool and upskill journalists to deliver more specialised reporting, improve their technical understanding of the industry and strengthen public confidence in the sector.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Association of Energy Correspondents Abuja FCT (AECAF), John Ofikhenua, commended the current management of the PTDF for recognising journalists as key external stakeholders deserving of specialised training.
According to him, previous administrations of the Fund did not consider journalists eligible beneficiaries of PTDF capacity building programmes.
He described the initiative as historic and urged the Fund to institutionalise the training programme to ensure energy correspondents continue to build the technical competence required to effectively report developments in Nigeria’s petroleum industry.