Seplat Energy Plc, a dual-listed Nigerian independent company, says it has kicked off the 3rd edition of its Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) in Benin City, empowering a total of 300 teachers from both Edo and Delta states.
The STEP initiative launched in 2022, seeks to promote teacher’s creative thinking, allow for higher student engagement, and offer a well-rounded education for recipients of the programme.
STEP also provides them with resources to support their delivery of quality teaching in Seplat Energy’s host states, Edo and Delta State.
This year’s edition was preceded by a four-day residential workshop, which provided leadership, self-improvement introduction to Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) training and its application to teaching.
About 905 teachers wrote the online qualifying test, in which 300 teachers qualified from both states for the residential training, and will continue online for another three months.
In her opening remarks, Director, External Affairs and Sustainability, Dr. Chioma Nwachuku, said Seplat Energy in conjunction with its JV partners, and the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology, decided to embark on this initiative to empower teachers towards providing a better education platform for students who are the future leaders.
“The initiative is designed to foster creative thinking; problem solving abilities; teacher/student engagement and produce well-rounded educated students,” she said
She added that Chief Inspectors of Education in the two states and key personnel of the Ministry of Education were also present to ensure an impactful delivery of the programme.
Represented by Joseph Ofili, Business Relations Manager, Nwachuku said the participants comprised 75% public sector, and 25% private sector, who were given electronic devices and internet data to continue the online training for the next 3 months.
She attributed the success of the programme to the support received from the Ministries of Education, and Science and Technology as well as Seplat Energy’s JV partner- Nigerian Exploration and Production Ltd (NEPL), formally Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd.
The initiative is designed to foster creative thinking; problem solving abilities; teacher/student engagement and produce well-rounded educated students.
Benefits to states
In her opening remarks, the Edo State Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Joan Osa Oviawe, commended Seplat for the STEP initiative, saying it is a transformative training programme.
She also commended the quality and robustness of courses being offered and urged the teachers to share the knowledge with their colleagues who were unable to be part of it, and to ensure their schools and students benefitted from it.
Oviawe promised that her Ministry will engage the STEP beneficiaries as Master Trainers, to facilitate the digital learning programme for teachers being planned by the Edo State government under its education reform – “Edo Best 2.0”
She reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to continue the partnership with Seplat Energy and other agencies in delivering the transformative CSR initiative.
Also speaking, the Delta State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, commended the efforts of Seplat Energy and NPDC “for the determination to continually uphold its corporate social responsibilities to its host states, which has sustained quality education in Edo and Delta States over time.”
Represented by Mrs. Clementina Ojuma, Director of Schools Department, Ministry of Education, she said: “You have been carefully selected for this training which is an uncommon opportunity for you to gain knowledge and become equipped with skills and tools in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, generally known as STEAM.”
She noted that Delta State has witnessed an increase in students’ participation in local and national Science and Technology competitions since the launch of the STEP initiative whilst encouraging the teachers to ensure that their schools and students benefit from their learning.
