Niger Delta: Shell pledges accelerated devt. to peaceful host communities

Shell Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) says it is prioritising development of its host communities which provide peaceful operational environment for oil and gas exploration in Niger Delta using the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) template.

Mr Igo Weli, General Manager, External Relations at SPDC stated this on Wednesday in Yenagoa during the inauguration of completed projects at Tarakiri Cluster Development Cluster in Ekeremor and Sagbama Local Government Areas (LGA) of Bayelsa.

Weli said that SPDC had completed 24 projects for N496.9 million in six communities within the Tarakiri cluster.

Weli, represented by Mr Evans Krukrubo, External Relations Manager, West Asset, listed Ayamasa, Agbere, Isampou, Ofoni, Agbialama and Egbema in Ekeremo and Sagbama LGAs as the benefiting communities.

“Where the environment supports our business and we run our operations without disruptions, SPDC is committed to increasing the Social Investment that we make to host communities and to Nigeria.

“A peaceful and enabling environment allows SPDC Joint Venture to put more funding to social investment that benefits all our people.

“SPDC has disbursed about N41.1 billion to the 37 active clusters from 2006 till date for community development under the GMoU template,’’ he said.

Speaking on behalf of the benefiting communities, Dr Jude Ebibokefie, Chairman of Tarakiri Cluster Development Board, commended SPDC for promptly meeting its funding obligations which facilitated the completion of the projects.

He explained that the projects cut across infrastructure, skills acquisition and human capacity empowerment as well as scholarships executed and implemented by the established organs in the GMoU agreement which runs for a five year period.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some 25 women who successfully completed skills acquisition trainings received a startup grant of N41.1 million at the occasion.