Owing to the pace at which the world’s technology is moving, different avenues have or are been created by the industry professionals to provide an industry base activity, through which students can be intimated on the ongoing trends in the industry, and how they tend to come in. Providing research opportunities, competing opportunities and knowledge/industry based theme lectures.

The energy industry is not left behind in this. As can be seen in the avenue which it provides to its students through its professional body “Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)”, via it’s various Sections, National councils, Regional divisions and the International body as a whole. And in like manner, the Society of Petroleum Engineers-Nigerian Council (SPE-NC) also has its own version, otherwise referred to as the “Student’s Technical Symposium and Exhibition (STSE)”.


About the symposium
The Student’s Technical Symposium and Exhibition (STSE) which was until 2018 referred to as Student’s Technical Conference and Exhibition (STCE) is the SPE student related annual event, which is an avenue where students from all over SPE student chapters in Nigeria converge and are been spurred the more towards academic excellence, student’s technical and professional competency, for the industry.


The symposium
The SPE-Nigerian Council held its 16th edition of the STSE earlier this year, precisely 15th-18th February 2018, hosted by Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja section 199, in the Nigerian capital city-Abuja. The symposium had the theme “from fossil fuels to alternative energy: Relevant skill sets and local resource opportunities”, with the theme lecture presented by the SPE-NC Vice chair, Engr. Debo Fagbami. For me as an individual, this is the first time I am attending such student’s event in SPE.

The symposium featured the following events: PetroQuiz, paper contest, theme lecture, ambassador lecture program, distinguished lecture program, technical sessions, sports etc. At first, I had a myopic view of what and how the symposium will be, to which my perspective was changed on arrival to the event’s venue, meeting different students from other SPE student chapters within the Nigerian council, who showed more enthusiasm and more readiness to beat all other chapters in the conference featured events; which of key note was the Nigerian version of the PetroQuiz competition.

One key aspect of the symposium was the kick start of the first edition of the Energy Challenge, where student chapters put to knowledge on how the Nigerian economy can be boosted through the use of locally sourced materials, which will in turn serve as a catalyst to Nigerian students to explore other innovative career opportunities and growth, apart from working for established companies.


The experience
The symposium proffered me the opportunity to meet with fellow students from other chapters, industry practitioners that were present, and also to meet with the SPE-Nigerian Council Chairman, Engr. Chikezie Nwosu, the immediate past Council chair, Dr. Saka Matemilola, other section chairs that were present and representatives of different Government agencies. More importantly, the symposium has made me to see the other side of SPE; as a community where technical and social impact are been inhibited upon its members.

The symposium was of that which shall increase student’s knowledge and skills, and also the testing of the acquired knowledge and skills. For me, the symposium has broadened my understanding of the energy industry. It has impacted in me the will to develop some soft skills which I can use in developing myself. I remember the words of the SPE-Nigerian Council Vice chair, “is either you innovate or you die” to which the immediate past Council chair in his own words stated that “you either adapt or you die”. And it is through doing that, that one can make any input which will be of great relevance to the industry even while been a student.

Of key considerable experience; I have developed the aspect of my team working ability and communication skills, gained from one of the technical sessions, to which we were grouped and then given a subject case to proffer a technical approach towards solving it. This has further developed my ability to work in a team, and also indirectly preparing me for possible likely situations that I would encounter when I find myself in the industry.


How it all concluded with me
No doubt, that such kind of symposiums can help students develop their hidden treasures in some important aspects that will be of great use when they go out to face their individual societies. From my individual perspective, the symposium has proffered me with technical research opportunities that I can verge into. Though I have heard of NAICE (Nigerian Annual International Conference and Exhibition) and ATCE (Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition) both organize by SPE, and how extravagant the events are, but until I am opportune to attend such events, I cannot but say that STSE is the best.

And with the experience I have garnered by participating in the 2018 STSE, under the sponsorship of my student chapter (ATBU Bauchi), and also been one of the students who represented the chapter in the PetroQuiz competition, I must but say that my path in the Petroleum Engineering field has just received a smoothening and widening in scope, which if I continue on, will help enhance my technical ability to thrive in my studies and to also thrive even while been in the industry. As such, I had a closer view of what and how the industry will be like for me, even before I get there. It is now left to we students to engage ourselves in such “industry to students” base activities, and the experience will be one which you would not likely live to regret.

Thanks to SPE-International and SPE-Nigerian council, for giving the student community such an avenue of great importance and also for providing the forum and a community as such, that incorporates other disciplines, not necessarily Petroleum Engineering, provided they have an input in one way or the other to make to the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the energy industry.