A new cohort of 52 trainee engineers has successfully completed the Dangote Petroleum Refinery Graduate Trainee Programme and is now set to join the refinery as full employees.
The engineers, specialising in Chemical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, concluded their training with a presentation and defense of their final projects before the refinery’s management team over the weekend.
The engineers, part of Batch 10, add to the growing number of graduate engineers who have been trained and employed by the world-class refinery in Lagos, as part of its Graduate Engineer Training Programme, which began even before the refinery’s completion.
During the event, the engineers presented their projects in groups and were rigorously questioned by the management on their learnings and the innovations they plan to bring to the refinery.
Mr. Devakumar Edwin, Vice-President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, was represented by Manas Banergie, Head of Operations at Dangote Petroleum Refinery. Banergie congratulated the new employees, stating that the training had provided them with valuable new perspectives on what lies ahead. He emphasized the refinery’s focus on innovation, stating, “None of you is trained here to become a maintenance manager. We don’t do maintenance here, we only improve by adding innovations.”
Dr. Ebele Oputa, Coordinator of the training programme and Assistant General Manager, Human Asset Management at Dangote Petroleum Refinery, explained that the engineers underwent two years of hands-on training across Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics Engineering. She highlighted that the aim of the programme was to match the theoretical knowledge learned in school with practical experience at the refinery.
“This programme is designed to develop your practical and leadership skills over time, so you can effectively guide your teams in both professional and personal development,” Dr. Oputa said. She added that the programme also offers engineers the opportunity to connect with industry professionals, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and set a roadmap for achieving their career goals.
The comprehensive two-year training involves five key phases: induction, observation and shadowing, equipment training, hands-on training at the refinery, and plant-wise production training.
The programme also includes assessments such as written exams, project work presentations, and confidential performance reports, culminating in the confirmation of the trainees as full staff.
Upon completing the training, the engineers expressed their gratitude to Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the opportunity and commitment to their professional development. They pledged to uphold the confidence placed in them and not to disappoint the management.
The successful induction of these young engineers marks another milestone for the Dangote Petroleum Refinery as it continues to build a strong workforce capable of meeting the challenges of operating the world’s largest single-train refinery.