PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

U.S. Government Trains 62 Nigerian Environmental Scientists on Oil Spill Detection and Recovery

Date: March 16, 2009
Venue: Lagos

Ambassador Sanders presents a certificate of participation to NOSDRA staff. | Full size

On March 16, 2009, U.S. Ambassador Robin Sanders and Nigeria’s Minister of Environment John Odey, awarded certificates to 62 environmental scientists from the Nigerian Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) who have successfully completed a three-week training on oil spill detection and recovery sponsored by the U.S. Government.  This first ever training has qualified NOSDRA personnel to be emergency responders and coordinators in oil spill detection, disaster mitigation, and recovery operations.   The training benefited NOSDRA environmental officers from Abuja, Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, and Uyo.

In her remarks, Ambassador Sanders encouraged the awardees to use their new skills and expertise to reduce the risks of oil spills and mitigate their impact on the environment once they take place.  “You will also need to develop close working relationships with counterparts in the oil and gas industry, and with federal, state, and local law enforcement and other emergency responders.  Most importantly, you will need to work with the communities that are disproportionately impacted by oil spills, particularly in the Niger Delta,” Ambassador Sanders said.

Under the program, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Specialist and 2009 U.S. Science Fellow Michael Solecki provided technical assistance and training to senior and mid-level environmental officers from NOSDRA and the Pipeline Product Marketing Company (PPMC).  Michael has also trained over 50 emergency responders from the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on disaster mitigation and response strategies. 

The U.S. Government through its Mission in Nigeria continues to partner with the Federal Government of Nigeria in providing technical assistance for capacity-building and fostering dialogue among all stakeholders within the oil sector.