NLNG Empowers Co-operatives With N125m

L-R: Senate President, David Mark, Vice President of Kenya, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka and Leader, House of Representatives, Hon. Tunde Akogun during the Inale Film Project Presentation in Abuja, last Thursday.

The Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Company (NLNG) says it has economically empowered over 249 co-operative groups with over N125million under its economic empowerment scheme.

The economic empowerment scheme is a conglomerate of NLNG’s poverty alleviation programme with the key objective of facilitating know-how and competency transfer toward building greater capacity for wealth generation and self reliance.

Speaking at an event tagged “NLNG Economic Empowerment and Development Day in Port Harcourt, NLNG’s General Manager, External Relations, Siene Allwell-Brown said the move was the company’s  corporate policy to encourage local enterprise through the mirco-finance scheme (MFS), Business Development Advisory Support Services (BDASS), Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) and NLNG Agro Enterprise Development Programme.

According to Allwell-Brown, the scheme was designed with exceptional level of community participation, adding that the programme addresses the needs of the different segments of the primary host communities populace in skill acquisition for indigent and enterprising youths, agro support for farmers and fishermen and mini to medium scale businesses.

She expressed satisfaction at the turn out of participants, speakers, practitioners and stakeholders who partnered with the company to accomplish the goals of the scheme.

Similarly, whilst giving a detailed account of the high points of the scheme, the Manager, Community Relations and Development, Andy Odeh stated that though economic empowerment was the arrowhead of the company’s sustainable development agenda, it also stood as a component of an integrated development outlook in NLNG /CSR initiatives.

Odeh was quick to add that though the programmes had commenced separately, the over-arching idea was to identify and implement economic development schemes that optimize the utilisation of local resources, skills and expertise in the host communities, to stimulate the initiation and growth of self sustaining economic development activities. It also aimed at promoting economic self reliance through value adding business development, capacity building and management support services to encourage the emergence of entrepreneurs, increased incomes and employment opportunities that would lead to economic independence and social inclusion of the communities.

According to Andy Odeh, the micro-finance scheme was implemented via a three pronged approach, highlighting NLNG partnerships with institutions i.e. CBN/NLNG/FBN Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme, regular NLNG micro credit scheme and the Village Savings and Loans [VSL] approach, which propagates formation of Accumulated Savings and Credit Associations [ASCA’s]. “Thus far, over 249 cooperative groups have been empowered with well over N125 million. Correspondingly, the Youth Empowerment Scheme boasts of over 500 trainees with an approx. 5 batches of training, in 12 trade outlets across Port Harcourt. Successful trainees are immediately equipped with tools or “starter packs” of their vocation of choice and hooked up with the micro-finance scheme if able to form a cooperative. He said “this strategy is responsible for the schemes success with 35 per cent of graduated trainees currently productively engaged at their various businesses”.

The NLNG Agro Enterprise Development Action [N-AGENDA] on the other hand,  he said was rooted on agro focus non-financial support services. With strategic partnerships with Songhai Farms in Benin Republic, the National Root Crops Research Institute in Umudike [NRCRI] and the Africa Regional Aqua-cultural Centre [ARAC], trainings and exposure in cultivation, processing and marketing of crops has been made possible for over 300 farmers following a road show and symposia on agriculture that witnessed the attendance of over 5,000 farmers from the host communities.

The Business Development and Advisory Support Services [BDASS], he said was established to support entrepreneurs to improve performance and productivity. It is aimed at assisting current and potential beneficiaries of the micro-finance scheme, set the right and appropriate business priorities to aid accurate business decisions.

Beneficiaries of the NLNG economic empowerment scheme who have been very successful in their businesses and showcased products and services includes Village Savings and Loans Association Champions [VSL]; Juliet E. K. Halliday and Mrs. Emilia Hart both of Bonny, Chief Mman Wosu of Emohua, Nne-Omanugbo Group of Mbuetor and Umu Oma Young Farmers from Idu Obosiukwu in Ogba.

 In the Business Development and Advisory Support [BDASS] category, top success stories are of Sunday Ansalemi from Elok in Abua, Nebu Chimezie of Ubeta, Mrs. Sabinah Igwe from Rumuakunde in Emohua. Others are Mr. Luke Ekine Uzorma, Mrs. Fyne Alfred, Jumbo Boma Princewill in the NLNG Agro-Enterprise Development Action [N-AGENDA] category.

Mirco-Finance Scheme [MFS] celebrates the Akugbo Women Farmers Cooperative, Chimenma Mgbuitanwon Cooperative and Omoku Seamstresses Cooperative while the Youth Empowerment Scheme [YES] champions, include Hephzibah Industrious Co-operative Society of Bonny, Ikem Oyenkachi Mercelina from Amadi-Ama community and Ibiere. E. Sokari. 

Activities to commemorate the 2010 Economic Empowerment and Development Day featured paper presentations by Mr. Oluwatoyin Alabi, Managing Director/Chief Executive Offcier, The Promise Fast Foods – a rapid growing restaurant and open-door catering outfit in Port Harcourt – on ‘Poverty to Wealth’ and the place of agriculture by Mr. Adekunle Ogunwomoju, Chief Executive Officer of Farm Support Services. Also on the line-up of activities, are award presentations to 19 individuals and groups for excelling in their businesses and exhibitions of wares and services to expose beneficiaries to market opportunities and other funding institutions.