Thirteen beneficiaries of the 2019 Shell Petroleum Development Company
Joint Venture overseas postgraduate scholarship for host communities at the
award ceremony in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Thirteen indigenes of Niger Delta States of Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and Rivers
have won the 2019 Shell Petroleum Development Company Joint Venture
scholarship for a one-year master’s degree in three top-ranked universities
in the United Kingdom.
The latest awards bring the total number of beneficiaries to 92 since the
inception of the scheme in 2010.
A lack of world-class research institutions and limited access to
technology are key challenges in enabling Nigerians and Nigerian companies
to play an even greater role in the oil and gas value chain, therefore, the
SPDC Joint Venture has, over the years, developed many scholarship
programmes and other initiatives as part of our continuing efforts to
develop indigenous manpower for the oil and gas industry, SPDC’s General
Manager External Relations, Igo Weli, said at the award ceremony in Port
Harcourt on Thursday.
Represented by SPDC’s Social Investment Manager, Gloria Udoh, Weli
explained that the scheme was targeted at host communities. We have the
national scholarship which caters for the entire country in addition to the
scholarships offered by our deepwater business, Shell Nigeria Exploration
and Production Company.
According to him, the fully-funded scholarship covers all the direct and
indirect activities leading up to the award of the postgraduate degree
including visa fees, Tuition, living expenses, other allowances and return
flight tickets for a one-year Master’s degree in top-ranked partner
universities.

The partner universities are: Imperial College London; University of Leeds;
and University of Aberdeen.
SPDC’s General Manager, Nigerian Content Development, Olanrewaju Olawuyi
said the company was committed to country value addition not just through
scholarships but also through in-country manufacturing, supplier
development, asset ownership and infrastructure development.
Olawuyi said, Our approach to developing local human capacity has evolved
over the years as the challenges facing the industry and our businesses
have changed. We look forward to their returning home and contributing to
the development of the oil and gas industry and their communities.
One of the awardees, Ahante Promise, described the scholarship as a
life-time opportunity to further improve myself and compete equally with my
peers all over the world. Shell is doing a great job and I am extremely
grateful. Another beneficiary, Woyinpreye Cliff-Ekubo, expressed
appreciation to SPDC “for the opportunity and continuous support in
ensuring human capacity development in Nigeria.
Shell Companies in Nigeria have a long history of supporting education
through scholarships and other initiatives. Since inception in the 1950s,
the Shell scholarship scheme has supported several thousands of Shell
Scholars many of whom are among today’s captains of industry, thought
leaders, traditional rulers, and officials of various arms of government.
In 2018, approximately $5.9 million (N1.78 billion24) was invested in
scholarships by The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited
operated Joint Venture (SPDC JV) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and
Production Company (SNEPCo).

Grants were awarded to 532 secondary school students and 430 university
undergraduates in 2018.
Shell Companies in Nigeria have awarded 8,758 secondary and 5,165
university educational grants between 2011 and 2018. This includes 287
secondary school scholarships to people with special needs and physical
challenges.
Support for education is just one aspect of SPDC’s social investments in
the Niger Delta, other Community-driven development programmes and
initiatives, which focus on various themes as determined by benefiting
communities include community health, enterprise development, and
infrastructure development.