AfDB Issues Out $62million To Kenya For Oil & Gas Training

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a $62 million loan for training in the emerging oil, gas and mining industry.


AfDB’s director for human development Sunita Pitamber said Kenya is experiencing a skills gap for technicians and artisans with 80 per cent of the population under the age of 35 years unemployed.

“This project will play an important role in supporting the emerging oil, gas and mining industry, which intends to employ between 42,000 and 98,000 people over the next 10 years,” she said.

One of Kenya’s major challenges is skills mismatch and inadequate training. A reformed technical vocational education and training (TVET) sector can develop relevant skills and significantly improve the employability of the country’s workforce, especially among women and youth.

Increased access to TVET

The project aims to increase access and equity, improve quality and relevance of TVET in line with the Kenya Technical Vocational Education and Training Act of 2013.

Ms Pitamber said the project will strengthen faculties of engineering and applied sciences in the 33 target TVET institutions.

“These include four TVET institutions for hearing and visual impaired students. At least 600 TVET tutors will be trained at diploma and degree levels in engineering and applied sciences,” she said.

The project will support training of 3,000 youth (50 per cent female) in relevant skills to increase their employability. The project will also support construction of hostels in some TVET institutions in rural and marginalised regions, where lack of hostels hinders girls’ access to the institutions.