TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited has reaffirmed its deep and sustained commitment to human capital development across Rivers State, positioning its latest educational initiatives as a strategic investment in the state’s economic future.
This re-commitment was the core message delivered during the company’s recent Book Reading Competition and Open Day event for Senior Secondary School students, held at the TotalEnergies office in Port Harcourt.
Mr. Olivier Cassassoles, the Deputy Managing Director of Joint Venture Asset for TotalEnergies, emphasized that the initiative, which encouraged young minds to engage with the classic novel “The Potter’s Wheel” by Chukwuemeka Ike, is designed to nurture creativity, empathy, and most importantly, critical thinking.
This approach, he argued, is vital for producing the high-calibre professionals necessary for a resource-rich state like Rivers. Cassassoles stated that for over 60 years, the oil giant has been dedicated to lighting up minds, tracing his own success to an early exposure to books.
The company’s educational footprint in Nigeria, particularly its deep engagement in Rivers State, is extensive. Since 2003, TotalEnergies has facilitated the graduation of 705 petroleum engineers (MSc & PGD) through its support for the Institute of Petroleum and Energy Studies (IPES) at the University of Port Harcourt, directly feeding skilled talent into the oil and gas sector.
Furthermore, since 2003, more than 39,000 youths have benefited from the National Merit Scholarships Scheme, demonstrating a commitment to broad educational access.
A critical programming highlighted was the Empowering the Teachers (ETT) Fellowship, in partnership with NNPC Let’s and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Since 2010, over 110 Nigerian university lecturers have received advanced training through ETT, aiming to revolutionize science and engineering education nationwide, thereby improving the quality of graduates available for employment in the energy and technical industries.
In a competitive highlight if the day, Community Secondary School (CSS) Okuru-Ama emerged as the winner of the book reading competition. The Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr. Azibaolalare Uzoma-Wogu, praised the result, stating it was “an indication that the public schools have come to stay and still possesses some of the best in terms of manpower.”
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Dr. Uzoma-Wogu further commended TotalEnergies’ contributions, referencing the fact that a Rivers State school was recently ranked as the most brilliant in the country by the National Institute of Legislative Studies (NILS).
In his address to the students, legal practitioner and Role Model of the Day, Adolphus Akwumakwuhie, linked sound decision-making in youth to successful careers, cautioning against drug abuse and other vices that lead to “a destructive future.”
He specifically called on parents and guidance in Rivers State to resist imposing career paths on their children, emphasizing that this practice can lead to unhappy and unproductive professional lives. TotalEnergies’ continued investment assures stakeholders that the development of local capacity remains a cornerstone of its business operations in the region.
