By Anna Marie Valentine
In its quest to transform its institution and to make the sub-sector deliver, the Geological Department under the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy initiated a five-day online capacity building exercise for staff on geology, mining and environmental science. The training was conducted by Capacity Africa Institute in Nairobi, Kenya.
The training programme was conceptualised and implemented as response to the evolving needs of professionals in the geology and mining sectors. In addition, it was in recognition of the importance the geological sector in the socio-economic and infrastructural development of the country.
The training is expected to empower the participants with comprehensive knowledge in the geological field. It also featured a meticulously designed curriculum, blending theoretical insights with practical applications.
Training sessions covered geology principles, mining techniques, and environmental sciences, fostering participant engagement through hands-on activities, case studies, and collaborative group projects. The programme’s success was anchored on its commitment to providing a holistic learning experience, addressing industry demands and ensuring participants’ readiness for the challenges in their profession.
In his opening remarks, the Director of the Geological Department, Alieu Jawo, thanked the Ministry for its unwavering support and collaboration, and stressed the need for the department to learn and adopt best practices. “It is important that we continue to learn new strategies that will greatly improve the department. This training will only be successful if and when we implement it and I am confident that we will do so,” he stated.
Mr Fakebba Bojang, a Mine Inspector at the department said: “trainings like this help us a lot especially in the field. We have been doing this for a long time but we are always leaning along the way. We want to change this sector and improve it and the best way to do that is to learn and add those lessons to our work’’.
At the end of the training, the participants committed to application of the lessons and new experiences with the ultimate aim of rebranding and transforming the department.