Total E&P supports 50,000 students in Nigeria

Fri, Oct 18, 2019
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Featured, Oil & Gas

By Anayo Ezugwu

AS part of its continuous support to education in Nigeria, more than 50,000 students have benefited from Total E&P Nigeria Limited. Vincent Nnadi, executive general manager, social corporate responsibility, CSR, and medical services, Total has identified several commitments as priorities for social welfare, with education ranking at the top of the list.

Speaking at a media interaction in Lagos while highlighting the company’s efforts in contribution to its host communities through CSR, Nnadi said the company was supporting numerous programmes relating to education. “The company is currently focused on education and capacity building through its CSR, adding that Total had also invested in the six geo-political zones of the country under its CSR initiatives.

Nnadi said the company had invested more than $40 million annually on CSR, while assuring that it would invest more when the economy is stable. He said the education scholarships cut across post primary, post-secondary which include 80 tertiary institutions recognised by the National Universities’ Commission, NUC, as well as post-graduate in local and foreign universities.

He also said the scheme in three categories included National Merit Scheme, Community Scheme and International Scholarship. Nnadi explained that the National Merit Scheme had over 4,000 beneficiaries and the Community Scheme with over 5, 000 beneficiaries, both annually.

According to him, the scheme which is regarded as ‘Catch them Young’ programme allows bright pupils to be identified in primary schools in rural communities and placed in the best secondary schools in Port Harcourt under the sponsorship. Others, Nnadi noted, were the NYSC Scheme where graduates in their national service were engaged and posted to secondary school in the host communities to teach science subjects.

Nnadi said the company also had a Teachers Programme where science teachers were paid incentive in the host communities to motivate them, while workshops and training programmes were also organised to improve their techniques. He stressed that Total had also undertaken the construction of lecture theatres, classrooms, hostel blocks, renovation of schools, amongst others.

According to him, the company has a strategic and reliable partner throughout the entire value chain in downstream, upstream and midstream sectors of the Nigerian economy. He said Total as the 4th largest and gas producing company with 3000 employees had over 10 billion dollars investment in the economy in the last five year.

Nnadi stated that in 2012, the company invested over $80 billion annually, but it went down due to the economic situation in the country. He said the company had also invested in renewable energy, adding that over 47 stations in Lagos were powered by solar while over 125 stations across the country were powered by solar.

The executive general manager added that Total also partnered with the Nigerian Breweries and Coca-Cola on solar power. “Over the next 20 years, electricity demand will increase faster than the demand for energy as a whole.

“In order to meet this growing need, tackle the challenges of climate change and comply with the International Energy Agency’s scenario; we have made it our ambition for low-carbon businesses to account for nearly 20 percent of our portfolio in 20 years.

“We are already actively participating in the development of renewable energies, especially solar. With operations spanning the manufacture of high-efficiency photo-voltaic panels, ground-based power plants, decentralized systems, storage solutions and marketing to end-customers, we are present across the entire value chain and fast-tracking the deployment of solar technology,” he said.

 – Oct 18, 2019 @ 17:45 GMT |

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