By Stanley Onyeka, Lagos
Shell companies in Nigeria and their partners yesterday said they spent over $42.2 million on direct social investments in 2023, in which Shell exclusively spent $14.1 million.
This total expenditure is 23% than the $34.29 million invested in 2022, according to a statement by Shell’s Communications, Media and NGO Relations Manager, Bamidele Odugbesan.
The statement also said this was a significant mark-up in efforts by The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC), Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo), and Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG), as well as their partners to promote the socio-economic development of host communities.
The partners include the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC); TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited; the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Ltd.
It noted that the investments were in health, education, road safety and enterprise programmes, and already contained in the recently published Shell Nigeria Briefing Notes for 2023.
“In addition, SPDC and SNEPCo made $142 million statutory payments to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2023 alone,” it added.
SPDC Director and Country Head, Corporate Relations, Igo Weli, was quoted as saying: “Our vision for the Niger Delta is for our people to take advantage of these and other investments to improve their lives.
“This is why we support communities to develop their capacities for need assessment and project planning and execution. Our aim is to contribute to the sustainable development of the region through collaboration with all stakeholders.”
Since the 1950s, Shell Companies in Nigeria said they have also supported education through scholarships and other initiatives, adding that in 2023, SPDC, SNEPCo and SNG invested over $3 million in such programmes.
Our aim is to contribute to the sustainable development of the region through collaboration with all stakeholders.
