FUPRE Anniversary, Guest Speaker Austin Avuru  Commends Petroleum Varsity  As A Centre of Academic Excellence and Innovation 

By Wilson Macaulay

Warri

Engr Austin  Avuru Chairman AA Holdings, Co- Founder and Pioneer CEO of Platform Petroleum Limited and Seplat Petroleum Development  Company Plc today tasked the Management of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources  Effurun  (FUPRE ) Delta State to stand firm to close gaps created in research , training and development as a result of the gradual divestment of the international oil Companies ( IOC) from Nigeria.

Austin Avuru a top and key  player in the Petroleum industry made this observation today as the guest speaker of the 15th Founders Day Celebration 3rd Lecture Series   held at FUPRE  Hall one 

The  Petroleum guru  who spoke on the theme  titled, "Expanding The Frontier of Petroleum Education Through Stakeholders Participation"  noted that with the exit of the lOC's and their well established training organizations, the Federal University of Petroleum Resources , Effurun (FUPRE ) has to step out of the crowd of regular Nigerian Universities and step in to fill the vacuum being created by the failure of NNPC Research and Development Division and the withdrawal of the lOC's from sphere.

 Austin Avuru stressed that   FUPRE has to become the one step institution for tertiary and post tertiary specialized training for the Nigerian Oil and Gas lndustry,and the Energy lndustry in the future which is the context and basis on which he fully alligned  with the University dream and focus on stakeholders Participation.

While commending the laudable strides of   Engr Prof. Akpofure Rim- Rukeh the Vice Chancellor and his Management team Austin Avuru urged FUPRE as a specialized great citadel of learning to streamline their current NUC Curriculum into relevant Science, Engineering, Commercial, Environmental and other associated faculties and   lean on close collaboration with industry stakeholders to build FUPRE into a world class centre of excellence for Petroleum Education in  Africa and even across the continental shelf .

 

According to him ,if FUPRE step up the game, Research and Development funds will come abundantly from industrial players adding that the University must continue to acknowledge itself as the centre for relevant knowledge acquisition and leverage  into  working with key industry stakeholders like the Oil Producers Trade Section of the Lagos Chapter of Commerce OPTS, the lndependent Petroleum Producers Group, IPPG , the Petroleum Technology Development Fund  PTDF, and NNPC which will ever remain willing and principal collaborators in the business of Petroleum Education

While making his summàtion  Austin Avuru the Prolific guest speaker suggested that FUPRE should establish

a college of specialized oil and gas training as a semi autonomous faculty which will  be funded by the industry as critical stakeholders.

Engr Prof Rim-Rukeh the Vice Chancellor of the University earlier in his  welcome /key note address  titled, ''FUPRE in Brief" spoke about the mission and  vision of the First African University of Petroleum that ranks sixth in the world as academic excellence and innovation.

Engr Prof Akpofure the erudite academia  stated that the University guiding philosophy remains the promotion and advancement of knowledge and the production of graduates who are technoprenuers with concern for the promotion of environmentally friendly technological solutions in the practice of their profession.

He summarized the core values of FUPRE as   Contemporary, Relevance,

Excellence, Adaptive, Trailblazing, lngenoius, Vintage and Entrepreneurial, When put together it  forms what what FUPRE calls the creative core values he said.

Engr Prof Akpofure appreciated all the pioneer staff of the for the various sacrifice they made for the survival of the University, he commended the effort of  five students ,

the stars who won the inter University Science Quiz , the Royal Fathers  Present , the host Community and all invited guests.

Some Prominent senior citizens who played strategic role for their immense contributions to the growth and development of FUPRE  in the 15 years of  it's existenc where honored.

The list of the Awardees includes

Chiéf TA Okpoko (SAN), Chief Tuesday

 Ologe, HRM Dr Emmanuel Ekemejewan 

Sideso JP   Abe l  the Ovie of Uvwie kingdom, Chief Kenneth Gbagi,  former minister of State for Education,  and Chiéf  Peter Asagba, MD/CEO Casa Depedro.

 The two immediate host Communities ,Ugbomro  and Eterigbi were recognized and  honored for their peaceful disposition.

Others who made the  list on a posthumous category were late Major General  E O  Obada( rtd)

Late Senator Prof Adegor  Eferakeya, and Late Senator Pius Ehwerido who did their very best in the success story of FUPRE.