The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited
(SPDC), operator of the SPDC Joint Venture, has restated its active presence in
Delta State against the belief in some quarters that the multinational energy
firm has pulled out of the state, reports ITRealms.
As a proof of its significant footprints in Delta State, the
company said it has implemented wide ranging projects in different parts of the
state, including the disbursement of N1.88 billion to Global Memorandum of
Understanding (GMoU) clusters in host communities and the establishment of a
Professorial Chair at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun
(FUPRE).
SPDC’s General Manager External Relations, Igo Weli, said
this at the presentation of the company’s 2018 Briefing Notes to journalists in
Warri last Thursday where he said the company recently donated N600 million
facilities to five schools under a Youth Sports and Athletics Development
Project (YSADP,) to mark Nigeria’s centenary anniversary.
“These projects show our continuous presence and interest in
the development of Delta State,” said Weli who was represented by the company’s
Head of Community Interface, Evans Krukrubo. “While it is true that SPDC
divested from a number of assets in Delta State in line with our business
strategy, and in support of the participation of more Nigerian companies in the
oil and gas industry, we are still active in the state, for example, operating
Forcados Terminal, flow stations, gas plants and a network of pipelines. There
is no better way to relay this message than undertaking projects and
initiatives that are helping to rebuild lives and communities in the state.”
The GMoU funding covers the three clusters currently active
in Delta State since the inception of the concept in 2006. The Cluster
Development Boards (CDBs) like their counterparts in other parts of the Niger
Delta, are implementing health and educational projects among others.
The centenary project in Delta State which was inaugurated
this month includes the development of an athletic curriculum by Africare, an
international NGO, using the American National Collegiate Athletic Association
standards, the provision of facilities for long/triple jump, high jump, shot
put, javelin, discus and hammer throw in five schools as well as the
construction of a 400m six-lane rubberised track at Government College,
Ughelli. These facilities have been installed at the highest standards. A key
component of the project was the inclusion of 283 athletic and leadership
training sessions, academic performance tracking and mentoring. A total of 150
students from across the five project schools benefitted from the leadership
programme. Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa had said that the
project marked a major turning point in the lives of students and communities.
The Professorial Chair in Light Weight Automobile Engine
Development was activated at FUPRE in December last year and is the latest of
six established by SPDC JV. The Chair at Effurun is expected to contribute to
the growth of local content in Nigeria’s automobile industry. In a bid to boost
employment especially among youths, more than 700 young men and women benefited
from Shell’s LiveWIRE initiative between 2003 and 2017. Also, a total of 160
students from Delta State have received the SPDC flagship Cradle-to-Career
scholarship awards since they were instituted in 2010.
The programme offers
fully-funded six-year awards for children from rural communities to attend some
of Nigeria’s top secondary schools
Mr. Weli added: “SPDC JV is always prepared and willing to
contribute its quota to the development of its host communities in close
collaboration with other stakeholders. It is however, necessary for communities
to help create a conducive atmosphere to attract and retain investments in the
Niger Delta. Violence, vandalisation of pipelines and other anti-social
behaviours will not only discourage investments but also impede the holistic
development we badly need in the Niger Delta.”
Ayo Midele/GEE
Pix: L-R: Chairman Warri Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akpokona Omafuaire; Head, Government and Community Relations, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, Alaye Dokubo; Michael Ikeogwu, State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council; SPDC’s Head Community Interface, Evans Krukrubo; and Community Interface Coordinator, Jerry-Gaultney Udjo, at the media presentation of the 2018 Shell Nigeria Briefing Notes to Journalists in Warri, Delta State.
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