The National leadership of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG has commenced the training of organizing secretaries drawn from all the zones of the Union in strategic capacity building through use of research.

The training programme was facilitated by Comrade Warren McGregor from a leading South Africa Research institution, University of Witwatersrand.

President of NUPENG, Comrade Williams Akporeha, during the opening ceremony of the training noted that the Union partnered the Fredrick Ebert Stiftung to achieve positive and desirable results.

He further stated that it was aimed at improving competencies and building a robust and fresh techniques in organising workers effectively and efficiently both from formal and informal sectors; whilst also admonishing participants to justify the essence of the training.

“This training will help to give you a greater understanding of your responsibilities within your role, and in turn build your confidence. This confidence will enhance your overall performance and this will benefit the Union positively. It will also help young organizers like you to display competence and to be on top of adding values to industry standards for optimum output. Therefore I urge you all to justify the essence of this training”

He added that the training was equally designed to build and maintain high level of professionalism on the part of the organizers, while ensuring workers’ fulfilment, conviction and satisfaction.

Some of the topics and activities the participants were engaged in included, general analysis of the political and economic contexts of Nigeria today, Locating and building Workers’ Power using Research, Situation of Nigerian workers and the Labour movement today, Economic ideologies that dominate the world (Neo-liberation,  Policy prescription), power resources approach, Research mapping techniques through use of vertical or horizontal approach, Structural and Associational Powers, Group Discussion, among other things.