In line with its corporate social responsibility to oil and gas bearing host communities, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) has extended its scholarship awards to Ogoni communities in Rivers S|tate.
The company has also presented standard science libraries to sixteen selected secondary schools in Rivers, Delta and Edo states respectively. According to NPDC, it intends to spend N91.625 million in 2018 on scholarship awards in all assets.
In his speech, at the presentation of science libraries to principals of selected schools on Wednesday, in Benin City, Edo State, the Managing Director of NPDC, Mr Yusuf Matashi, disclosed that it was the first time the company was extending scholarship awards to Ogoni communities in Rivers State, adding that in the last five years, NPDC had given scholarship awards to over 1,000 secondary and tertiary students in Delta, Edo and Imo states.
The managing director, who was represented by the General Manager, Community Relations and Security, Mr Udo Atugbokoh, therefore appealed to community leaders and principals of schools to encourage their students to use the libraries as well as ensure their protection.
“We regard our host and impacted communities as stakeholders and one of our primary objectives in the partnership is to encourage education and knowledge. The project was conceived to meet the needs of secondary school students in our host communities who may not have access to the latest books on science and technology subjects.
“We hope that this gesture will enhance the existing cordial relationship between NPDC and its host communities as well as encourage young students to study hard and desist from the vices that are negatively affecting our society.”
Earlier, while presenting an overview of NPDC’s corporate social responsibility activities, the Manager, Community Relations, Mr Dalum Abubakar said the company intended to spend N91.625 Million in 2018, having expended N305.95 million on scholarship awards to 8,540 beneficiaries in 2016 and 2018.
He further stated that in 2016, NPDC spent N300 million to train 284 youths in Delta, Edo and Imo States for various skills acquisition programmes, aside the training of health workers, provision of health facilities and community development projects, aimed at fostering mutual understanding and peaceful operations in the host communities.
Responding to the gesture in an interview with The Tide Newspapers, an elated Ogoni contact person, Amb. Victor Nwikpo described the inclusion of Ogoni in the NPDC corporate social responsibility programmes as a welcome development, adding that it goes a long way in complementing the efforts of the Governor Nyesom Wike-led Rivers State Government.
Albert Ograra