By Jessica Tamaraduoye, Asaba
Sixty pupils from primary schools in the Niger Delta states of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers have been awarded full secondary school scholarships under the ‘Cradle-to-Career’ (C2C) scholarship programme run by the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, operated joint venture.
The award ceremony was held last Friday in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers state.
The awardees are the latest beneficiaries in a scholarship scheme that has placed 360 bright children in top secondary schools since the initiative was launched in 2010.
The company’s General Manager, External Relations, Igo Weli, in a speech at the ceremony, said that the C2C approach marked a significant improvement in the oil company’s portfolio of scholarship schemes, adding that the programme was designed to bridge educational inequalities resulting from geographic and socio-economic differences.
“SPDC and its joint venture partners are proud of the achievements of the scheme, which has received local and international accolades,” Weli said.
In his response, the Permanent Secretary in the Rivers State Ministry of Education, Michael West, commended SPDC and its joint venture partners for the life-transforming programme.
West charged other private corporate organisations operating in the country to emulate the example.
“Any organisation that invests in educational development is to be commended. With programmes like this, I believe we can take education to a new height,” he said.
A guardian to one of the beneficiaries, Maureen Benstowe, who also commended SPDC and its partners, said that the C2C scholarship scheme is definitely transforming lives.
“I have been carrying the burden of educating my ward alone until I heard about this programme. Today, SPDC has lifted my burden and wipe away my tears,” Benstowe stated.
Shell has a history of supporting education through scholarships and other such initiatives.
In 2014, SPDC joint venture and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), invested about $14.8 million in scholarships and other education programmes.