The Public Affairs Unit of the Department of Petroleum Resources organized a one-day training program for journalists who cover the oil and gas sector. According to the Head of Public Affairs, Ms. Dorothy Bassey, the objective of the training, which held on Monday June 30, 2014 at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos, was to give a broader insight into the scope of DPR’s activities and functions beyond what seems to be the regular remit of the journalists who appear to limit their focus to our downstream regulatory activities.

Ms. Bassey in her welcome address to the participants urged them to see the program as an opportunity to understand the pivotal role the Department plays in the most important and strategic sector of the Nigerian economy. She also hoped that at the end of the program, the journalists’ perception of DPR would change positively.

In similar vein, Mr. Gbenga Koku, Head of the Planning Division who opened the occasion on behalf of the Director of Petroleum Resources, expressed the hope that a major impact of the course would be to create a broader perspective of the Department, and also that going forward, the journalists would appreciate the transparent and professional manner in which staff of the DPR carry out their respective functions.

Energy correspondents from both the print and electronic media attended the course, and at the end, they all expressed their appreciation to the Public Affairs Unit for facilitating the forum and assured the management of the DPR of the media’s support and cooperation for its programs at all times.

The course was run by Hydrocarbon Global Consulting Limited and it covered the entire value chain of oil and gas industry.