In a significant boost to education in Rivers State, 611 primary and secondary school students from Andoni Local Government Area have been awarded scholarships and bursaries by the Joint Venture (JV) partners, Green Energy International Limited and Lekoil Nigeria. Additionally, 1,000 community members received livelihood support packages, including bags of rice, from the JV operators.
The beneficiaries were drawn from Ugama Ekede, Ayama Ekede, Asukama, and Asukoyet host communities. The bursary and scholarship programme extended to students in primary, secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels, with 169 students from Ugama Ekede and 181 from Asukama receiving scholarships, while 121 students from Ugama Ekede and 140 from Asukama benefited from bursaries.
During the award ceremony, representatives of the JV, Godwin Omayi, Security & Community Relations Officer (CRO), Lekoil, and Asuk Michael Edwin, CRO, Green Energy, highlighted that the initiative aims to enhance educational access and promote human capital development. They noted that the scheme aligns with the goals of the Ugama Ekede, Ayama Ekede, Asukama, and Asukoyet Host Community Development Trust (HCDT).
“This initiative underscores our commitment to supporting youths’ educational advancement in our host communities while fostering sustainable development through human capital investment,” Omayi said.
The scholarship and bursary scheme focuses on improving educational standards by setting qualification criteria, encouraging academic excellence, and promoting educational competitiveness among beneficiaries.
Speaking at the ceremony, Asuk Nathan Sampson, Chairman of the HCDT Board of Trustees, reaffirmed the Trust’s mandate to foster the sustainable prosperity of the four communities. He stressed that the scholarships aim to reduce school drop-out rates through effective monitoring to ensure beneficiaries complete their educational programmes.
“The bursaries are designed to address school drop-out challenges by ensuring that students stay in school and succeed academically,” Sampson stated.
He urged the students to use the bursaries wisely and noted that such opportunities were previously unavailable to students in the Andoni communities. “We have been praying for this company’s success because their success means more support for us,” he added.
Community members expressed their joy and gratitude for the scholarships. Uwubong Ene-Owa Nicodemus, a resident of Ekede, shared, “We have never seen anything like this before. It’s a first for us, and everyone, including the students, is extremely happy.”
The presentation of bursaries and scholarships to undergraduate and postgraduate beneficiaries is set to continue on December 19, 2024. The JV partners reaffirmed their commitment to supporting community development as mandated by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which requires oil companies to allocate a percentage of their profits to host community development projects.
The event concluded with a shared resolve for continuous collaboration between the JV operators and the host communities to ensure long-term socio-economic development.
