Oil firm awards N50m scholarship to Rivers youths

Uche Usim, Abuja

In line with its corporate social responsibility programmes, Green Energy International Limited (GEIL), an integrated energy company, has awarded a scholarship to 340 students from Andoni local government of Rivers State to pursue their education for the 2019/2010 session.

GEIL, which operates the Otakikpo marginal Field in OML 11 and has its operational base in Ikuru town, Rivers State, disclosed in a statement that the scholarship was worth over N50 million and covers secondary, undergraduate and post-graduate education.

The students were selected based on rigorous qualifying examination from among over 7,000 applicants for the scholarship under the “Green Energy leaders of Tomorrow scholars” instituted in 2018 to enhance the education standards of the host community youths of the company. Presenting the scholarship awards at the yearly community stakeholders luncheon held in Port Harcourt, the Chairman of the company, Prof. Anthony Adegbulugbe said the company, apart from infrastructural improvements of the communities in its area of operation, considered provision of scholarship as critical to the human capacity development of the communities in Andoni and Rivers State at large.

He said his company’s belief that crude oil production is not an end in itself but a means to achieve economic development and other developmental goals prompted the move toward supporting education as one of the critical pillars of social change in the country. Adegbulugbe recalled that during its five years of operation and engagement with the communities, the company had contributed significantly towards achievement of some United Nations sustainable development goals (SDG) through consistent health interventions programmes, the revamping of health facilities through the Johns Hopkins University partnerships, the conservation of animals species programme and infrastructure development through the Community Trusts Fund, among others.