UNITAR Initiatives Growing in Nigeria
18-19 April 2016, Abuja, Nigeria – The Executive Director of UNITAR, Mr. Nikhil Seth, made an official visit to Abuja for high-level meetings. During the two-day visit, Mr. Seth, with Mr. Alex Mejia of UNITAR’s Decentralized Cooperation Programme and Mr. Larry Boms of UNITAR’s Port Harcourt Project Office, met with several ministers to discuss UNITAR training initiatives and proposals: H.E. Amina Mohammed, Minister of Environment; H.E. Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation; H.E. Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs; and H.E. Zainab S. Ahmed, Minister of State for National Budget and Planning. The delegation also met with several other organizations and representatives in Abuja relevant to UNITAR initiatives, including H.E. Rolf Ree, Norwegian ambassador, and Mr. Ben Mellor, DFID Nigeria Director.
The meetings in Abuja included discussion of ongoing projects and potential collaboration with those entities on topics such as Agenda 2030 implementation, environmental governance, satellite imagery applications, road safety and diplomatic training.
Also prominent in the agenda was UNITAR’s visit to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), a key partner of the Institute’s in youth employability initiatives. The objective of the project is to train young Nigerians as petroleum engineers at Haugesund University in Norway, where 38 scholars are currently enrolled in their second year of the engineering degree with outstanding academic performance. The UNITAR delegation met with the Acting Executive Secretary of PTDF, Mr. Ahmed Galadima, and his team to discuss the status of the project and next steps required in its implementation, as well as Nigeria’s needs for vocational training in the oil and gas sector.
UNITAR has an active and growing presence in Nigeria, with a dedicated Project Office in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The Port Harcourt Project Office (PHPO) was established on 23 March 2006 and is part of the Decentralized Cooperation Programme. As a UNITAR field office, PHPO works closely with national and state governments, local authorities and municipalities to implement training and capacity-building activities on several topics. The office operates several unique projects in close collaboration with the Nigerian government and private sector organizations, including oil and gas corporations.
Photo Credits:
- Mr. Nikhil Seth and Mr. Ahmed Galadima, Acting Executive Secretary of PTDF.
- UNITAR delegation with H.E. Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- UNITAR delegation with H.E. Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation and UNITAR Board of Trustees member.
- UNITAR delegation with H.E. Amina Mohammed, Minister of Environment.
- UNITAR delegation with H.E. Zainab S. Ahmed, Minister of State for National Budget and Planning.