Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has for years presented great opportunity for companies to positively impact the lives of people in communities where they operate.
In any form CSRs present themselves, the objective remains to ensure that the society becomes a better place for both the company and the people. The Seplat Energy Plc has redefined the CSR with the PEARLs quiz which it implements in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in the Delta and Edo states. Winners have emerged from the completion meant to stimulate healthy competition among schools in the designated area, encourage learning and reward outstanding academic performance.
Every right thinking business knows that part of its major considerations should be ensuring that its host communities are positively touched by its operations.
For players in the Nigeria energy space, partnerships with their host communities has remained a major booster to value creation and happiness of all stakeholders.
Given the positive feedback that comes to the companies embarking on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), many operators in the Nigerian energy sector have undertaken CSR projects to enhance the wellbeing of the people in their host communities.
To promote better and quality life by the host communities and by extension the states, Seplat Energy Plc., an operator in the Nigerian energy space, took several bold and practical steps to redefine CSR. The moves have brought about positive feedback from the host communities.
Among such laudable annual programmes and projects that usually gulp millions of naira and also meet Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) and international best practice, is the Seplat PEARLs Quiz for secondary schools’ students in Edo and Delta States.
Seplat Energy began the PEARLs quiz empowerment initiative involving all Secondary Schools in its host states in an all-round curriculum quiz competition in 2012 after it made major debut in the oil and gas industry.
Seplat Energy had since 2012 targeted rural and urban schools in its host communities as a way of improving the educational standards of students in Edo and Delta states. The overall objective of the programme was to enhance academic performance particularly in the host states and Nigeria in general.
Participation for the programme has been made accessible to all secondary schools in Edo and Delta states and the competition holds at the school level along the line of the senatorial zones and ends at the states level to determine the winners.
The quiz contest comprises selected questions in various subjects following approved school curricula. At the end of the final stage, the first three top performing schools and the winning students are rewarded with various prizes.
The PEARLs Quiz programme which is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in the respective states is expected to stimulate healthy competition among schools in the designated area, encourage learning and reward outstanding academic performance.
The 10th edition of the Seplat Energy Pearls Quiz was held at the Government House Asaba, Delta State with Peniel Academy, Boji Boji Owa, Agbor, Delta State emerging the winner.
Two Edo State secondary schools Pioneer Education Centre and Igbinedion Education Centre both in Benin City also clinched the second and third positions, respectively.
While Peniel Academy coasted home with the star prize of N7 million, it also got a trophy and the three students that represented it got N100,000 each; Pioneer Education Centre took the second prize of N3 million, a trophy and its three students got N75,000 each; just as Igbinedion Education Centre got N1 million, a trophy and its three students got N50,000 each.
At the conclusion of the keenly contested quiz competition, every teacher from all the schools that participated got a tablet (a communication device) while the teachers of the last four schools that got to the finals were given a laptop each.
Worthy of note is that the participating students displayed good talent performances during the competition to the admiration of Edo and Delta States’ functionaries and management of Seplat Energy that witnessed the ceremony.
Goodwill messages from Delta State Government and The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) were mixed with commendations for Seplat Energy in which other corporate bodies were tasked to emulate Seplat Energy’s initiatives in developing their host communities.
The Executive Governor of Delta State, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, represented by the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, commended Seplat and its joint venture partner, the NPDC for sustaining the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme in the last ten years.
“It is no gainsaying that NPDC/Seplat Energy JV has made a remarkable impression in the education industry in both Delta and Edo states. It is a milestone that has left a lasting impression in the mind of students, teachers and the schools through interventions in education,” the governor said.
He called on other cooperate organizations to emulate the Seplat Energy initiative, insisting that the mantra of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) ‘Education For All’ is the responsibility of ‘all’, implying that education should not be left for the government alone.
Director, External Affairs and Sustainability, Seplat Energy, Chioma Nwachuku, represented by the Western Assets Base Manager, Emmanuel Otokhine, explained that the Seplat Pearls Quiz as an educational initiative, is targeted at boosting the quality of education in the states where Seplat Energy operates. She reiterated that the programme is also aimed at providing facilities in schools in the states within areas of operations of Seplat Energy.
While thanking Governor Okowa for his support, Chioma also congratulated the winning schools and urged others to improve on their performances stressing that the Pearls Quiz is very transparent.
“In line with the Sustainable Development Goals 4 (SDG4), the Seplat Pearls Quiz ensures inclusive, equitable quality education and promotion of life-long learning opportunities for public and private secondary school students in our host states of Edo and Delta,” Dr. Nwachuku added.
Also, the CSR Manager of Seplat Energy, Esther Icha disclosed that the oil company has introduced several new awards for participating schools including Best Behaved School and Most Promising School, amongst others.
Basking in their euphoria of winning prizes, students of Peniel Academy, Pioneer Education Centre and Igbinedion Education Centre expressed profound appreciation to Seplat Energy for the opportunity given to them to showcase their talents. This year’s Pearls Quiz also featured chronographic and cultural dance performances by students of different schools.
Other notable dignitaries who attended the ceremony were: the Deputy Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ochor Christopher Ochor, represented by Emmanuel Enebeli, Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker; the Secretary to the Delta State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, represented by Felix Ideh, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the SSG; Honourable Commissioner for Higher Education, Delta State, Professor Patrick Muoboghare, represented by Stella Agbeyeke, Director Inspectorate Department, Delta State Ministry of Higher Education; Augustine Ede Oghoro, Permanent Secretary Delta State Ministry of Basic and Secondary School Education; and the Permanent Secretary, Edo State Ministry of Education, Stella- Marris Imasuen represented by Bernard Aghomon of the Science , Technical and Vocational Education Directorate, Edo state Ministry of Education.
Seplat Energy has continually demonstrated firm commitment to a long-term infrastructural development of her host communities, as well as, to growing the human capital and intellectual aptitude of the people in these States.
Apart from the PEARLS quiz, the organisations also hold several other corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, such as teachers’ empowerment programme known as STEP, whose second edition kickstarted earlier in the year. The STEP initiative is an educational programme through which teachers are equipped with all it takes to continue to impart knowledge in their students with modern techniques.
Seplat Energy Plc is a leading indigenous Nigerian energy company with a strategic focus on Nigeria, listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and Nigerian Exchange Ltd. Seplat Energy is pursuing a Nigeria focused growth strategy and is well-positioned to participate in future divestment programmes by the international oil companies, farm-in opportunities and future licensing rounds.
Analysts have noted that Seplat Energy Plc leveraged the rebound in oil prices to boost revenues in the first nine months of 2021.
Stakeholders said this initiative by Seplat Energy is a step in the right direction, knowing the role of youths in the development of the country is key.
“Seplat Energy has taken a very deliberate decision to target the youth with this programme because young people represent the future of any community, and indeed the nation, as youth are very active and need to be assisted to channel their energies on the right direction. They also need to be encouraged to embrace the spirit of scholarship and supported to understand and appreciate the fact that there is good reward for scholastic excellence,” analysts said.
The company has committed significant resources to meticulously craft this programme to rekindle the spirit of academic excellence and healthy competition in private and public schools in Edo and Delta states.
Apart from cash prizes to the winning schools, Seplat Energy has delivered various projects to schools through the PEARLs quiz initiative over the years which include language laboratory, roofing projects, decked block of classrooms, interlocking stones for an entire school premises to prevent erosion, computer laboratories in different schools, among others.
Seplat performed exceptionally, posting strong sales figures owing to the steady growth in oil prices during the period.
Seplat Energy Plc filed its nine months financial statement for the period ended September 30, 2021, which revealed impressive gross earnings appreciating by over 34.70 per cent from N135.62 billion in 2020 to N182.68 billion in the current period.
The company’s top-line earnings arose from revenue from contracts with customers which are divided into two segments: Crude oil sales and Gas sales.
A cursory look at the notes to account revealed that the energy company made the most sales from Crude oil, which yielded over N146 billion, roughly 80 per cent of the total revenue, during the period under review, which can be attributed to the rebound in global oil prices.
It is worthy of note that the major off-takers for Seplat’s crude oil are foreign companies, Mercuria, the parent company of Mercuria Energy Group in Switzerland; and Shell Western, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell.
Global oil prices spiked from around $48.73 per barrel in January to around $85.35 per barrel on November 1.
Seplat Energy Plc recently disclosed its readiness to champion the quest to improve Africa’s energy access by repurposing its operations with a focus on cleaner energy. This came from the decision to make sure that Seplat is committed to carbon neutrality upon the realisation that something must be done by everyone concerning decarbonization.
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