PTDF boss urges deeper, more accurate media coverage of oil, gas sector

By Onu Okorie

Petroleum Technology Development Fund PTDF has called on journalists and media stakeholders to deepen their understanding of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector in order to deliver more accurate and impactful reporting.

This was the message from the Fund’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Shuaibu Shehu Aliyu, while declaring open a Capacity-Building Programme for Journalists and Media Stakeholders organized by PTDF.

Addressing participants he described as “Gentlemen of the Press,” Prof. Aliyu said the programme reflected PTDF’s commitment to promoting informed and impactful reporting on the sector, describing the media as more than a conveyor of information but a strategic partner in shaping public discourse and driving national development.

He noted that reporting on an industry as technical and fast-evolving as oil and gas required journalists to have a sound grasp of the policies, technologies, and issues shaping the sector — a gap the training was designed to bridge.

The PTDF boss said the agency, as Nigeria’s foremost human capacity development body for the oil and gas industry, believed that capacity building must extend beyond industry professionals to those who inform the public. He said strengthening journalists’ understanding of the sector and of PTDF’s mandate and interventions amounted to investing in more balanced and credible reporting.

Highlighting the Fund’s achievements in developing skilled manpower, advancing research and innovation, and supporting local content, Prof. Aliyu said these successes deserved to be told with clarity, context, and credibility.

He described the programme as a reinforcement of the long-standing partnership between PTDF and the media, pledging continued engagement, openness, and mutual respect between both parties.

The Executive Secretary urged participants to actively engage during the sessions, ask questions, and share perspectives, expressing confidence that they would leave better equipped to report on the complexities of the sector.

Prof. Aliyu commended the Fund’s Press and External Relations Unit for conceiving the initiative and thanked Betterways Nigeria Limited for partnering with PTDF to deliver the programme, as well as all journalists and editors who honoured the invitation.

He then formally declared the Capacity-Building Programme for Journalists and Media Stakeholders open.