Eight years after the launch of Cradle-To-Career (C2C) scholarship scheme for brilliant indigent pupils in public primary schools in hard-to-reach communities in the Niger Delta, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) has now increased the number of beneficiaries of the Special Secondary School Scholarships programme in the three core pilot states of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers to 480.
Inducting 60 new beneficiaries into the fully-funded secondary school scholarship scheme at Bloombreed High School at Elelenwo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, SPDC said the C2C programme was an all-inclusive initiative that provides opportunities and strong foundation for brilliant pupils in public primary schools to attend four top private secondary boarding schools in the country.
Speaking at the induction ceremony last Friday, SPDC General Manager, External Relations, Mr Igo Weli, urged the 60 scholars to remain focused, disciplined and obedient, adding that, “to wear a crown, one must earn it”.
Weli urged the beneficiaries to turn their special privilege into vast opportunities by working hard to excel at all times.
“Always remember you have a duty to yourself to make the best of this rare opportunity. There is a crown for you at the end, but you have to earn it and to earn it, you must be focused, attentive, obedient, diligent and kind to everyone around you to be a better person in learning and character,” Weli counselled.
“This programme presents before you a life-time chance and opportunity to construct the foundation for your future and grow to become a pride to yourself, family, community, state and society at large,” the external relations top chief at Shell Nigeria added.
The general manager, who was represented by the Social Performance Investment Manager, Mrs Gloria Udoh, listed the four reputable secondary schools selected to train the 60 indigent pupils in Port Harcourt as follows: Archdeacon Brown Education Centre, Woji, Bloombreed High School, Elelenwo, Brookestone Secondary School, Rukpokwu; and Jephthah Comprehensive College, East-West Road, adding that the pupils were painstakingly selected through a transparent and rigorous examination process.
In his remarks, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Mr. Dagogo Adonye Hart, who was represented by the Deputy Director (Unit Head, Secondary), Mrs Joy Nwamaka Joseph commended SPDC for the good work they have been doing to ensure quality education in the state and country at large.
The permanent secretary appealed to Shell to expand the scope of the scholarship from 20 pupils per state, to 40 pupils, in order for more people to benefit.
He hoped that the beneficiary students Shell has helped with the fully-funded scholarship would do all proud, saying that it was a good thing that the company has lifted the burden of paying the students’ fees and other requirements from their parents.
“It is a good thing to lift a burden from parents; you might not know what you have done now, but these children, I know would project your name. I believe that the children are destined to be winners, and because you have identified them today, we know that these children from Rivers State would not disappoint you. It is one thing to be in Shell, and it is another thing to see the outside community and have interest in them,” Hart noted.
In his goodwill message, Principal, Bloombreed High School, Mr Ahmed Kamal, said the day was very remarkable in the history of the school as it was the first time such a lofty programme was held in the school.
Kamal praised the merit-based selection process in the programme, and urged all to support Shell in efforts to make it successful.
“If we all support Shell by creating the needed enabling environment for their business to thrive, we would have a group of Nigerians that would change their various communities in future. If Shell does this for 10 years, that is 600 pupils, and so, the multiplier effect is very enormous for the communities of the Niger Delta, and indeed, Nigeria,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries from Rivers State, Obomate Oribim told The Tide in an interview that he was happy and grateful to Shell for the golden opportunity to excel in life, and promised to be a good ambassador of his community and the state.
While urging the youth to remain peaceful and create the enabling environment for Shell to do more to positively impacting the lives of the less privileged in the society, Oribim assured that he would take advantage of opportunity to contribute positively to  the development of the state.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana & Miriam Obusele