By David Owei,Abuja

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), in partnership with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, has commenced a specialised human capital development programme aimed at equipping 300 young Nigerians with industry-relevant skills in mechanical, electrical and instrumentation engineering.

The exercise which is under the NCDMB–Renaissance Oil and Gas Field Readiness Training Programme, is designed to equip young Nigerian graduates with industry-relevant technical and professional skills required for successful careers in the oil and gas sector. The programme will run for 12 months, comprising three months of classroom-based learning followed by nine months of on-the-job training (OJT) with partner service companies in the oil and gas industry. A total of 300 trainees were selected for the programme, with 240 participants in Lagos and 60 in Port Harcourt.

Speaking at the kick-off ceremony, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the initiative aligns with the Board’s mandate of building local capacity, deepening Nigerian participation in the oil and gas sector and creating opportunities that support economic growth.

He said the trainees will acquire practical industry exposure, culminating in globally recognised certifications.

“This is more than the commencement of a training programme. It is the beginning of a journey for young Nigerians who will acquire world-class skills in mechanical, instrumentation and electrical disciplines,” he said.

Represented by the Assistant Manager Human Capacity Development, Mr. Tari Bufazi, the NCDMB boss said specialised skills in automation, instrumentation and engineering operations remain essential to the safe and efficient exploitation of Nigeria’s petroleum resources, particularly as the industry prepares for new investment projects.

“Instrumentation, electrical and mechanical engineering are foundational to the survival, profitability and safety of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. This training is designed to close existing gaps and prepare participants for industry demands,” he said.

He urged beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity, describing it as a platform that could transform them into innovators, problem-solvers and future industry leaders.

General Manager, NCD, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Engr. Olarenwaju Lanre Olawuyi, said the company remains committed to developing indigenous capabilities and supporting the growth of Nigeria’s energy sector through strategic investments in human capital.

Alabi said the training programme would expose participants to both technical and practical aspects of industry operations, enabling them to acquire competencies that employers increasingly demand.

“At Renaissance, we believe local content development must create real capability, strengthen indigenous expertise and empower Nigerians to lead,” he said.

Represented by Engr. Funso Alabi, he explained that the programme combines classroom instruction with extensive on-the-job training, providing participants with practical exposure in areas such as mechanical systems, electrical operations, instrumentation and control, software development, networking and cybersecurity.

According to him, the practical component will help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and workplace requirements.

“Success requires not only technical competence but also professionalism, integrity, teamwork and a strong safety culture,” he told the trainees.

Also speaking, Ranti Omole, chief executive officer of Radial Circle, the lead training provider, described the programme as a rare opportunity for young Nigerians seeking careers in the global energy industry.

He disclosed that the participants emerged from a highly competitive selection process involving thousands of applicants drawn from the NCDMB database.

Omole said the objective of the programme goes beyond certification, stressing that the focus is on developing industry-ready professionals capable of contributing immediately in operational environments.

We are building competence and skills. By the time you complete this programme, you should be field-ready and able to fit seamlessly into industry operations,” he said.

He encouraged participants to maximise the opportunity through discipline, continuous learning and collaboration with colleagues from different parts of the country.

Stakeholders at the event said the initiative supports the objectives of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act and the Nigerian Content 10-Year Strategic Roadmap by strengthening the local talent pipeline needed to sustain growth in the country’s energy industry.

By Our Correspondent

In an effort to clear the air on “Miracle School” and kidnapping incident in Kogi state, National Examinations Council has dismissed claims linking Government Secondary School, Olowa in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State to a so-called “miracle examination centre.”

The denial follows comments made after five people were kidnapped at the school on Tuesday. Four of them have since been freed, thanks to joint efforts by the Kogi State Government and security operatives.

A press statement issued by Azeez Sani
Ag. Director, Information and Public Relations, said,NECO commended both for the rescue operation and expressed sympathy for those affected.

However, the Council took issue with remarks by Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, who labeled the school a “miracle centre.”

The statement explains that , the school is owned by the Kogi State Government, has operated for more than 40 years, and has been fielding candidates for the NECO Senior School Certificate Examination since 2000.

The Principal, Elder Daniel Iyamaa, a Grade Level 17 officer in the Kogi State Civil Service, was among those abducted.

The supervisor, Mr. Solomon Audu, a Grade Level 12 officer employed by the Kogi State Government, is posted to Community Secondary School, Effin.

According to the statement, the students taken were properly registered pupils of Government Secondary School, Olowa. They were entered for the 2026 NECO SSCE by the school in partnership with the Kogi State Government.

A total of 28 candidates were registered for the 2026 SSCE from the school. NECO confirmed they are regular students, not external candidates, contrary to the impression given by the Commissioner, the statement said.

Giving records of past enrolment data, the statement said,NECO’s records show the school’s SSCE entries over the last five years:2025– 20 candidates, 2024 – 40 candidates, 2023– 28 candidates, 2022 – 20 candidates, and 2021 – 21 candidates.

WAEC Fees: For the just-concluded 2026 WAEC SSCE, the Kogi State Government paid exam fees for 51 candidates from the same school.

On security Measures, the statement explain that before the 2026 NECO SSCE began, the NECO State Coordinator in Kogi wrote to security agencies seeking support for a peaceful exam. The request followed a recent attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke in Ijumu LGA during the 2026 WAEC exams.

The statement reads in part”Under the leadership of Professor Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, NECO reiterated its zero-tolerance policy on exam malpractice. The Council said it has rolled out major reforms over the last five years, resulting in a sharp drop in reported malpractice cases.

NECO urged public officials and stakeholders to confirm facts before making statements that could damage an institution’s reputation or cause public panic.

By Our Correspondent

In a bid to guarantee food security in the upcoming year, Federal Government has flagged off the distribution of more than 10 million bags of fertilizer and announced a Guaranteed Price Model for 2 million smallholder farmers nationwide.

Speaking at the ceremony held in Zaria, Kaduna State, on Friday 17th July, 2026 the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, said the inputs are being delivered under the Renewed Hope Smallholder Support and Value Chain Fund (RH-SVCF).

The Minister stated that the biggest shift is not the volume of inputs, but the structure of delivery. “From now on, there is an institution beside you when you plant, and an institution beside you when you sell,” Kyari told farmers gathered for the flag-off. “For generations, farmers carried every risk alone. They borrowed to plant.

They prayed for rain. And at harvest, they met a buyer who knew they were desperate. What changes today?”
Kyari who noted that one third of the beneficiaries are women, highlighted that under the new design, every farmer will be linked to a Farmer Aggregation Company, with Arzikin Noma, a Farmer Aggregation Company, leading the flag-off in Zaria.

He stressed that timing is critical. “Fertilizer in August is a different commodity from fertilizer in July.” He said inputs were delivered in mid-July, right as the rains set in, to ensure that farmers do not plant late.

According to him, beyond delivery, the aggregator will stay with the farmer through the entire cycle. This means providing certified seed, fertilizer, and extension support from land preparation to harvest. At the end of the season, the same aggregator becomes the pathway to market, buying at a Guaranteed Minimum Price approved by government. That price, the Minister said, is a floor “below which the farmer’s sweat cannot be bought.”

He explained that the model aligns the interest of the farmer and the company. “The farmer’s success and the company’s success become the same thing.

” He added that with Arzikin Noma’s investment in local processing, “what our farmers grow will become food and feed here at home,” deepening the value chain and food security.

Kyari also tied the new programme to the history of the host city. “Zaria has been farming city for as long as anyone can remember. This is where the best seeds were selected. This is where farming methods were refined and passed on. Zaria taught farming to much of this country.”

He noted that just down the road, the Institute for Agricultural Research at Samaru has for decades tested varieties, trained extension agents, and shown farmers what is possible. “Today’s flag-off connects that work to the field. Research meets the farmer. Inputs meet the rains. And the harvest meets a market.”

The Minister commended the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, for “delivery after delivery,” noting that inputs were on the ground in the very week the season demands them. He said Arzikin Noma had grown from fewer than 3,000 farmers to over 400,000, with a target of 1 million by 2030.

Reiterating the Ministry’s commitment, Kyari emphasized that the Ministry is fully aligned to farmers’ success under this new model. “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security stands squarely behind the farmer. We will not abandon you at planting. We will not abandon you at harvest.”

“A nation that cannot feed itself holds its independence on loan,” he added, stressing that putting the farmer first “is not sentiment. It is strategy.” He urged farmers to “farm well this season, and hold us to our word,” noting that government will be judged “not by what is said today, but by what happens after the canopies are folded.”

In his remarks, the Group Managing Director, Arzikin Noma, Africa, High Chief Adeoluwa Michael Adeshola revealed that’’ We didn’t start this company because we wanted to sell agricultural inputs. We started because we believed there had to be a better way to support the people who feed this country’’.

He added that ‘’ over time, we’ve learnt something very important, agriculture is not just about what happens on the farm, It is about finance. It is about logistics. It is about storage. It is about markets. It is about trust. Most importantly, it is about people’’.

He stressed that‘’ no organization, not even Arzikin Noma can transform agriculture alone, Government has a role. Development partners have a role. Financial institutions have a role. Traditional institutions have a role. The private sector has a role ‘’

During his Goodwill Message, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Agriculture Limited, Mr. Ayodeji Oludare Sotinrin stated that the ‘’BOA is building an ecosystem where farmers have access to quality inputs, affordable financing, mechanization support, aggregation systems, structured markets, and value chain partnerships that improve productivity and increase incomes’’.

Mr. Sotinrin added that ‘’ Agricultural transformation is not achieved through isolated interventions. It happens when every part of the value chain works together, from production to processing, from financing to market access, to create an environment where farmers can thrive’’.

He revealed that ‘’ the programme is designed to reach 2 million smallholder farmers across Nigeria, deploy over 10 million bags of fertilizer, and ensure that farmers receive quality inputs at the right time and in the right quantities to improve productivity’’.

According to him, ‘’to date, close to 300,000 farmers have been on boarded into the programme. More than 1.1 million bags of fertilizer and over 16,470 metric tonnes of improved seeds are being deployed through 20 Farmer Aggregation Companies operating across more than 20 states of the Federation. Behind this delivery network are 15 accredited input suppliers, creating jobs, strengthening local businesses, and keeping economic activity within our rural communities’’.

The event was attended by the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, royal fathers, development partners, and farmers from Zazzau and beyond.