By Mustapha Kamara Jnr.
Amidst talk of a possible oil and gas discoveries, some Sierra Leoneans have began positioning themselves to take advantage of the opportunities coming with that.
The Institute of Petroleum Managers is one such group. The institution is an affiliate of the Cambridge University in England, and it has recently introduced new professional courses that aim at developing the country’s human resources base to meet the challenges ahead.
Alex Bangura, Executive President of the Freetown-based institute, said they decided to establish it with the aim of building the human resource capacity of the country, especially on areas that has to do with management of natural resources and entertainments.
He said the management of the institute had leant over the years that there were few or no qualified professionals or experts to take up certain jobs within mining companies operating in the country, noting that sometimes experts were flown in from other countries to work in Sierra Leone, at huge cost to both employers and the country.
Bangura said one of the reasons for this was that there were no institutions or platforms where students would be given the opportunity to meet with experts that would provide them relevant knowledge in the sector.
He said since Sierra Leone has been identified with huge potential of oil and gas, they felt it appropriate to establish such an institute in the country.
“We don’t want the country to continue to make the mistakes it has made already on the aspect of geo-properties, therefore we are building the fence, the fence may come in different ways,” Bangura said in an interview with Politico.
He said their main objectives were to provide expert training for students on management of the country’s geo-properties, to improve the country’s socio-economic structures through the management of oil, gas and other mineral resources.
“We would be offering courses that have to do with management aspect of petroleum gases and other natural resources, courses which have not been offered here,” he said.
The institute last week launched its courses at the Crown Technical University College, at No. 2 Pike street in Freetown.
© Politico 02/06/15
