NNPC, TotalEnergies Inaugurate Women Devt, Skills Acquisition Centre in Kwara

Peter Uzoho

In furtherance of their corporate social responsibilities, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), TotalEnergies Upstream Nigeria Limited, operator of the Oil Mining Lease (OML) 130, and partners have inaugurated and handed over a women development and skills acquisition center in Omu-Aran, Kwara State.

The facility, according to TotalEnergies, was designed to provide an enabling environment for women and young people to learn skills and create employment in Omu-Aran.

The oil major in a statement issued yesterday, said the self-sustaining skill acquisition center was expected to reduce women and youth unemployment and restiveness in the communities around the state as well as generate income.

The fully equipped development center consists of four training halls for fashion designing and tailoring, catering and hotel management, computer training and mixed training facility, sick-bay, over 400 seater auditorium and lounge supported with a solar power generating unit of four training halls for fashion designing and tailoring, catering and hotel management, computer training and mixed training facility, sick-bay, over 400 seater auditorium and lounge supported with a solar power generating unit and a 40KVA generator.

In his welcome address at the inauguration and handover ceremony, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of the NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), Mr. Bala Wunti, who was represented by Mrs. Bunmi Lawson, said the project which aligns with sustainable development goals, (SDGs), was part of efforts to mitigate various identified gaps.

He noted that the center would help provide relief to the people of Kwara State for the intended purpose, adding that the partners would continue to champion the implementation of SDGs.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive, TotalEnergies Upstream Nigeria Limited, Mr. Mike Sangster, who was represented by the Executive Director, People and Country Service, Mr. George Oguachuba, pointed out that the project was among eight projects scheduled for inauguration in November 2022, while another 19 projects were under construction and shall be inaugurated upon completion.

Speaking on the approach used, Sangster explained that the use of the ‘Project Managers’ approach made the delivery of projects in remote locations faster and better.

“It is important to note that these projects were realised using the novel approach of ‘Project Manager’. This approach which is new in the industry permits the delivery of projects in remote and challenging environments while ensuring the use of local expertise and stakeholder engagement,” he added.

The Omu-Aran community leaders and other stakeholders, who were represented by the Chairman of the Omu-Aran Development Association, Major General Olayemi Lasisi Abidoya (rtd), applauded NNPC Limited, TotalEnergies, Sapetro and other partners for finding them worthy to be among beneficiaries and urged other organizations to emulate them.

Omu-Aran community is among the 64 communities that benefited from the corporate social responsibility of NNPC TotalEnergies Sapetro and others across the country’s geo-political zones.

OML 130 partners include NNPC Limited, TotalEnergies Upstream Nigeria Limited, PRIME (formerly Petrobras), Sapetro and CNOOC.