Perm Sec Tasks Oil Firms On Human Capacity Dev

Oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region have been charged to invest heavily in human capacity development to produce the needed manpower to drive the economy of the region and complement government’s efforts to improve the lives of the long-impoverished people.
Speaking to The Tide during the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) Joint Venture Partners’ presentation of business start-up awards under the 2018 LiveWIRE programme in Port Harcourt, recently, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Mr Dagogo Adonye-Hart, said it was high time the oil companies emulated the kind gesture of SPDC by putting the development of the region above profit, adding that when they pay priority attention to human capital development, the region would witness peace, economic revival and speedy transformation, thereby creating conducive environment for businesses to thrive.
He said that when the people were better equipped to face the challenges of life, there would be peace and harmony, less incidents of kidnapping, violent crimes and criminalities, pipeline vandalism, among others.
Adonye-Hart added that if all the companies engage in one laudable project or the other, government’s commitment to create employment opportunities for the youths and efforts to curb crime and criminality in the state and region would achieve meaningful results.
Also speaking, the General Manager, External Relations, SPDC, Mr Igo Weli said, that the joint venture had spent well over N48million to empower 120 beneficiaries of its 2018 Shell Regional LiveWIRE Programme to begin their own businesses and help boost the economic capacity of the region to play in the global arena.
The general manger, who was represented by the Manager, Social Investment Performance, Pastor Gloria Udoh, stressed that the Shell LiveWIRE has received several local and international recognitions for its positive impact and successful contributions to the development of the people of the region in particular and the nation as a whole.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana