About The Centre

The NNPC/Shell JV Centre of Excellence in Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering, University of Benin, was established in late 2012 by The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nig. Ltd. (SPDC), representing the NNPC/SPDC/TotalEnergies/Agip Joint Venture, and University of Benin, after exhaustive planning and approvals from both the University of Benin (Senate and Management) and SPDC. One of the major objectives is to train skilled professional young graduates at the postgraduate level that would be ready for opportunities in the oil and gas industry workplace upon graduation.  To achieve the objectives, effective collaboration between the academia and industry in all disciplines in Science, Engineering and Technology is encouraged in all areas of endeavor at the Centre.  
The establishment of the Centre in the University of Benin therefore sets: –
1. To promote academia-industry linkage in a sustainable way, through industry presence in the university;
2. To encourage and promote active research and development activities through active collaborations of academia and industry professionals and experts;
3. To create opportunities for developing industry-ready man-power from Nigerian tertiary institutions; and
4. To encourage international linkage and collaboration through Research and Development
 
The Centre is administered by a Trust Deed endorsed by SPDC on behalf of her JV partners, and the University of Benin.  The Deed and Governance Framework is implemented by a Board of Trustees (BoT) which is the highest administering organ of the Centre, and whose membership comprises the top management of the University of Benin and SPDC.  The Chairman of the Board is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, with the Managing Director of SPDC or his representative as the Alternate Chair. All matters of academic character of the Centre are determined by an Academic Board whose membership comprise the Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies and those of the Faculties of Physical Sciences and Engineering, as well as Professors and other senior academics within and outside Nigeria who are retained as lecturers or facilitators on full-time or part-time capacity, including industry-based staff and retired professionals. The Academic Board is empowered to coordinate and guide the academic activities of the Centre and chaired by the Director.  The Academic Board reports to the Senate, University of Benin, on all academic processes.