JOE EFFIONG, UYO
Mustafa Indimi, the managing Director of Oriental Energy Resources, one of the leading indigenous oil and gas companies in Nigeria, has expressed commitment of the company to contribute its quota towards United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals.
According to Indimi, the core focus of the company’s investment in social interventions includes developments in community health, education, capacity building, human capital and sustainable community development.
Indimi made the assertion at a capacity building programme on sustainable community development planning and management organized by Oriental Energy Resources in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
Indimi, who spoke through Uwem Ite, the company’s Head of Community Relations, explained that completed and ongoing social investment initiatives embarked upon by Oriental Energy Resources were “designed and developed to contribute towards the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals”.
He cited the Girl-child menstrual health outreach programme carried out in June by the company for secondary schools in Akwa Ibom as being in line with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4 and 5.
The five-day capacity building programme, which commenced on Monday for community representatives and stakeholders from oil producing community in Mbo local government area centres on “Community needs assessment and prioritization for implementation”, “Establishing and sustaining relationships with donor agencies”, “Role of non-governmental organizations in community development”, “Sourcing external funding for community development”, “Contracting and procurement processes”, among other community related empowerment initiatives.
The contents of the workshop are delivered through lectures, interactive sessions, syndicate works, case studies and audio-visual aids, which Unyime Robinson, the Principal Consultant of the facilitating consulting firm, Kunnysons Konsult, said are aimed at ensuring effective and efficient learning.
Robinson had earlier expressed hope that at the end of training exercise, participants will gain knowledge on diverse areas that could add impetus to personal socio-economic development of participants and overall community development in many aspects.