Dr Charles Ebereonwu, a communications expert on Friday advocated ‘financial symbiosis’ between academia and industry for economic development.

Ebereonwu, Country Communications Manager, Total Energies spoke at Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun’s Industry-Academia Linkages Webinar.

Speaking on the topic, The Role of Communication in Industry-Academia Collaboration, the expert noted that academic communication and industry communication were distinct.

He said that while academic communication emphasises theoretical foundations to expand knowledge, industry communication aims to achieve practical results that meet corporate objectives.

Ebereonwu, also a scholar on entrepreneurship advised the academia to adopt the strategies of effective communications beyond the confines of the ivory towers to solve salient problems in the country.

Ebereonwu said that financial symbiosis between the two vital segments in Nigeria would bring about efficiency and pave way for rapid economic development.

According to him, financial symbiosis offers solutions to the gap between the academia and the industry to address the challenge of production of graduates that are not suitable for the labour market.

He explained that the collaboration will ensure that the funds deployed to retrain fresh graduates who lack functional industry skills could be used to support the academia to produce industry ready graduates.

Speaking earlier, Dr Henry Adimula, Principal and Chief Executive of PTI noted that the institute prioritises collaboration with the oil and gas industry in its quest to produce skilled manpower for the sector.

Adimulæ, who was represented by Mr Samuel Omaje, Vice Principal of PTI noted that there was a wide gap between the academia and the industry in Nigeria.

He said that the PTI was adopting the collaboration with the oil industry curriculum development which positions its graduate for jobs in the oil and gas sector.

Also speaking, Dr Sarah Nwinee, Head, Linkages, Exchanges and Partnerships, PTI noted that the webinar, the fourth in the series was aimed at deepening its relationship with oil industry experts.

She noted that the policy was responsible for the wide acceptance of PTI’s graduates in the labour market as the emphasis was on hands-on training producing workforce that function in the practical realms.

She noted that PTI has built lasting relationships with the industry and would continue to deepen the partnerships to develop graduates with industry specific skills for the oil and gas sector.

•Dr Charles Ebereonwu, Country Communications Manager, TotalEnergies

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