In furtherance of efforts to empower Niger Delta youths through business support initiatives, capacity building and employment generation, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has handed over cheques worth N6.7million to 45 persons living with HIV/AIDS in Owaza, Abia State, in a pilot scheme aimed at enhancing the economic potentials of the most vulnerable in the region.

The 45 victims of the dreaded disease, who belong to four cooperative societies under the aegis of the more than 70-strong member God’s Intervention Support Group (GISG), were presented their cheques by SPDC representatives at a colourful launch of the small enterprise development programme for special groups in Port Harcourt, last Thursday.

Speaking at the event, SPDC’s General Manager, Social Performance and Community Relations, Tony Attah, restated the fact that the company has over the years developed and supported several small and medium-sized enterprises, with a view to boosting their economic contributions to societal development while maximizing profit to sustain their livelihoods.

Attah emphasized that hitherto, SPDC had offered healthcare support, treatment and counseling to people living with HIV/AIDS in host communities in the region, saying that the launch of this novel programme was to raise the bar by providing capital to establish new businesses or expand existing ones owned by PLWAs.

The general manager noted that this was a strategic departure from the past when corporate organizations and governments focused on providing healthcare such as anti-viral drugs than economic empowerment, stressing that SPDC was doing this because it “recognizes that there are millions of people willing and capable of living productive lives with the disease.

According to him, “the small enterprise development pilot programme is part of SPDC’s corporate social responsibility contribution to improving small businesses and creating wealth and sustainable employment for groups with special needs”, by identifying business needs of beneficiaries, building their capacity to establish and manage small businesses, providing revolving fund to enable kick-start their own businesses, while also providing mentoring and monitoring services to ensure sustainability.  

He implored the beneficiaries of the scheme to make good use of the fund in order to enable them take better care of themselves and their families, usually stigmatized by society, and also contribute positively to community, state and national development, assuring that the SPDC JV, government and other stakeholders were interested in their health and economic prosperity.

Also speaking, Regional Community Health Manager, Dr Babatunde Fakunle, pointed out that in every 100 Nigerians; about 3.8 are estimated to be HIV-positive, adding that the disease was no longer regarded as a medical problem but rather a major social and economic challenge to society.

Fakunle noted that apart from stigmatization and denial of access to family resources, the economic burden of HIV/AIDS include reduction of household incomes by up to 80 per cent, food consumption by 15-30 per cent, and primary school enrolment by 20-40 per cent, saying that i9t was in recognition of this challenge that the economic empowerment initiative was launched for people with special needs in furtherance of the goals of the Niger Delta AIDS Response programme.

He stated that the programme, which began in 2007 under a partnership framework with Family Health International, with the provision of community-based treatment, care and support to persons living with HIV and AIDS in five pilot communities in the Niger Delta covered by five SPDC-supported health centres, has now graduated to economic empowerment of PLWA and thanked the beneficiaries for making this possible.

Nelson Chukwudi