Business a.m.
Shell Nigeria’s subsidiaries, Shell Petroleum Development of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), jointly remitted $142.5 million to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2023, more than doubling their 2022 contribution of $79.77 million.
A recent statement by Bamidele Odugbesan, Shell Nigeria’s manager of media communications and NGO Relations, disclosed that SPDC remitted $112.5 million to the NDDC, a 90 percent increase from its 2022 payment of $59.04 million.
According to Odugbesan, the contributions came from the Shell companies on behalf of themselves and their respective partners including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited; TotalEnergies, EP Nigeria Limited; NAOC; and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, as statutory contributions to the interventionist agency.
He noted further that Shell Companies in Nigeria have been engaged in supporting community development programmes since the 1960s. Odugbesan revealed that these efforts have benefited countless Nigerians, with particular emphasis on education. Since 2016, more than 3,450 secondary school grants, 3,772 university grants, and 1,062 cradle-to-career scholarship grants have been awarded.
He added, “Another investment has seen the introduction of the Health-in-Motion programme, providing free medical services directly to communities. Over one million individuals have benefited from the programme since its inception in the early 2000s.
“Also, the global Shell LiveWIRE entrepreneurship programme supported 73 businesses through training and mentorship programmes leading to 97 employment opportunities for Nigerians.”
On his part, Igo Weli, SPDC director and country head of Corporate Relations, reaffirmed Shell Nigeria’s commitment to supporting NDDC, pointing out that this was part of the company’s broader aspirations for the development of the Niger Delta region.
Weli also mentioned a range of collaborative efforts in health and education as examples of SPDC’s social investments in the area.
He noted that the company remains committed to its community-related obligations, which will be fulfilled through continued statutory payments to relevant agencies, as well as collaborative projects with partners and stakeholders.
