The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL)/ Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) Joint Venture (JV) says it will continue to invest and support education in the country.
The Chairman/Managing Director of the CNL, Rick Kennedy made the pledge on Saturday at the “Award Presentation Ceremony for the 2023 Awokoya Memorial Competition in Chemistry”.
The event was held at the Conference centre of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Stephen Awokoya Foundation for Science Education is a charitable, non-profit making organization, with a primary objective of promoting science education in Nigeria institutions of higher learning.
Represented by Mr Olujide Abimbola, the CNL’s Senior Government Affairs Advisor, Kennedy said the Chevrons’s corporate belief was that education remained a veritable tool for fostering self-worth, social growth and sustainable development.
He said that the company’s contributions to education were helping to improve the ability of Nigeria to develop quality manpower in different fields of human endeavour including the oil and gas industry.
“This 2023 award ceremony of the Awokoya Memorial Competition in Chemistry is particularly of great importance as it demonstrates the support of the NNPCL/CNL JV, the Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN) and the Delta State Government.
“The Awokoya Chemistry Competition was initiated to promote the study of the subject among secondary school students and in memory of Prof. Stephen Awokoya, a great Chemist who died on March 15, 1985.
“Since 1992 till date, the NNPCL/CNL JV is honored to have been the sole sponsor of the competition in Delta State.
“It might interest you to know that over 400 students from 24 out of the 25 local government areas in Delta State participated in this year’s competition which demonstrate great interest in the subject of Chemistry.
“In this year’s National Chemistry Competition, the winners in the Delta State competition came 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively,” he said.
Kennedy said that findings had revealed that all the past awardees proceeded to further their studies in science-related disciplines at the University level both locally and internationally.
He said that the remarkable achievement that motivated the NNPCL/CNL JV over the years to continue to invest and support quality education through provision of education infrastructure, sponsorship of manpower development programs and provision of scholarship.
“Education is a veritable tool for fostering self-worth and among others. We make efforts to support this important component of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and the Nigerian National Policy on Education,” he said.
Kennedy said that the competition beyond helping to immortalize the persons they are named after, it would also help the students to develop their mental aptitude for personal development and by implication add more values to the society.
He assured that with the continued support and commitment of the Delta State Ministry of Education and the CSN, the Awokoya Memorial Competition in Chemistry would continued to stimulate the students’ interest in the study of Chemistry and other Science subjects.
In his address of welcome, Mr Koida Owate, Chairman, CSN, Delta State chapter, thanked Chevron for its all-time sponsorship of the program.
“We are delighted to state that your sponsorship has been the bane of the outstanding performance of our students in this competition.
“Delta State came first and third position in 2022 raising the bar of excellence. This year Delta State clinched the first, second and third positions respectively at the National competition. Thus your Corporate Social Responsibility has achieved it’s mandates in this regard.
“The Annual National Chemistry (Awokoya Memorial) Examination Competition has indeed been a blessing to Delta State and this confirmed that the purpose for which the program is instituted is being achieved,” Owate said.
While thanking the Chevron for the generosity, Owate request for more
funding to enable the Society to incorporate more students, noting that the cost of conducting the examination in the state had risen astronomically.
Mrs Rose Ezewu, the Commissioner for Education (Basic and Secondary) in Delta State commended the CSN for the great vision toward the development of Chemistry in the state.
Represented by Mrs Asiru Vera, the commissioner urged other organisations to emulate the CSN, noting that education was the bedrock for the development of any society.
The Guest Lecturer, Dr Ejiroghene Umureri, a Consultant Cardiologist, Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara delivered a lecture at the event.
In attendance were scholars including Prof. E.E Akporunor of the Delta State University, secondary schools students and their teachers and among others.
