The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) at the weekend announced plans to establish an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre at the proposed Command Science and Technical College in Ankpa, Kogi State.

The Executive Secretary of PTDF, Prof. Shehu Aliyu, disclosed this in Abuja during a visit by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, and his delegation to the Fund’s headquarters.

Aliyu said the decision followed a request by the Nigerian Army for strategic partnership and support for the proposed college, which focuses on science, technology, engineering, ICT and technical education.

He said the initiative was consistent with PTDF’s mandate of developing indigenous capacity in the oil, gas and energy sector through research, scholarships, specialised training and strategic educational institutions.

Aliyu said PTDF’s partnership with the Nigerian military was already ongoing, noting that the Fund currently sponsors scholars at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, under its In-country Scholarship Scheme.

He added that Government Day Secondary School, Army Barracks, Yola, Adamawa State, was also among the beneficiaries of the PTDF STEM Programme.

According to him, the interventions reflected PTDF’s recognition of the strategic value of Nigeria’s military educational institutions and its commitment to producing highly skilled professionals.

The PTDF boss also solicited the Nigerian Army’s support in strengthening security around the Fund’s two strategic Centres of Excellence, the General Shehu Musa Yar’adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology, Kaduna, and the Centre for Skills Development and Training, Port Harcourt.

He described the institutions as national assets representing substantial investments in specialised education, technical training, research and capacity development.

Responding, the Chief of Army Staff, Shaibu, said the Army was particularly interested in developing specialised skills in command-and-control systems and drone technology to strengthen its capacity to respond to contemporary security challenges.

“Now we are at a critical moment in our history whereby science and technology are critical aspects of our own skill development and to assist in solving contemporary security situations,” he said.

The Army chief said terrorism, insurgency and banditry continued to pose security challenges, making it necessary for the military to build and domesticate critical technological capabilities within the country.

He said the Army was seeking PTDF’s support to develop a critical mass of skilled personnel who could contribute to the establishment of indigenous companies for the development of command-and-control systems and other technologies.

“We are looking forward to developing critical skills in command-and-control systems and drone technology to assist in building and domesticating that skill within the country and to reduce the number of personnel sent outside the country,” Shaibu said.

The Chief of Army Staff also welcomed PTDF’s intervention in Command Secondary Schools, describing them as an important welfare component for military personnel and their families.

He said upgrading and equipping the schools would help develop young talents who could eventually contribute to national development.

Shaibu further appealed for continued support for the development of military personnel, saying stronger collaboration with PTDF would help the Army build the technical expertise required to strengthen security across the country.