Shell has launched its global education initiative, NXplorers in Nigeria, in the latest effort to inspire young people to find solutions to the global challenges of food, water and energy in the face of an increasing global population.
“NXplorers will connect Nigeria to the global search for solutions to the interlinked challenges of food, water and energy by inspiring, preparing and enabling young Nigerians to embrace complexity and address these real-life issues,” said the General Manager, External Relations of Shell Nigeria, Igo Weli.
“As the world population grows, the challenges of food, water and energy also increase. These challenges do not have set solutions but look to innovations that can address them in a sustainable manner.”
About 150 students from 12 public and private secondary schools in Port Harcourt and Lagos have been enrolled on the programme and trained by local and international consultants in collaboration with Mind Africa and LEAP Africa. NXplorers uses a unique combination of three methodologies of Systems thinking; Scenario planning; and Theory of change, to explore the issues, create solutions and effect sustainable changes that directly impact the food-water-energy nexus challenges in the local environment.
Systems thinking prepares participants to explore complex issues particularly of food, water and energy nexus using a variety of thinking tools and strategies, while scenario planning helps them to imagine different futures using scenario planning tools; while theory of change equips them to plan for and enact positive change using theory of change methodologies.
Using these methodologies, the programme provides a foundation for equipping future policy makers to develop complex problem-solving skills and change projects in the context of the food-water-energy nexus and beyond.
NXplorers was commissioned by the Projects and Technology business division of the Shell Group and is currently being implemented in 10 other countries across four continents of the world. Current beneficiary countries are: Qatar, Ghana, Oman, Brazil, England, Netherlands, India, Singapore, Russia, and Indonesia.
Other smart-energy initiatives by Shell include a global Shell LiveWire programme that encourages young people to develop entrepreneurial initiatives and energy innovations; Shell Eco-marathon which supports university students to design, build, test and drive ultra-energy-efficient vehicles; and Shell ideas360 programme which challenges university students of all disciplines to share ideas to meet the needs of a growing global population.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana