The Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited has launched a Global Memoranda of Understanding (GMoU) involving six new cluster communities in Rivers State.
They are Abua, Egi, Ekpeye, Kalabari, Ogba and Okrika.
Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Environment, Christian Ahiakwo, described the GMoU as a new paradigm, adding that it is apt and geared towards community development.
Speaking, Friday, at the signing, Ahiakwo said the “NLNG has built a system that will reduce suspicion and encourage gender inclusion, community unity and development.”
General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development, NLNG, Andy Odeh, explained that the GMoU is a model for sustainable community development in which communities are grouped in clusters and empowered to drive their development.
He said the company’s previous GMoU with Ubeta, Rumuji and Ogbunabali communities that host its Gas Transmission System (GTS) and Corporate Head Office had been yielding excellent results in those communities.
Odeh said: “The decision to take up this model of relationship is based on the yearnings and observed developmental deficits in our GTS communities.
“The need to bridge the infrastructural gaps, to alleviate poverty and unemployment, while building community capacity to drive their affairs necessitated this novel approach for CSR activities.
“The GMoU framework has already been adopted by International Oil Companies (IOCs) for managing relations with their respective host communities, and it has proven fruitful over the years.
“While it may seem NLNG is late to the game, we believe our GMoU model will benefit from the experiences of these IOCs and, therefore, it is assured successful outcomes”.

By: Ike Wigodo & Tonye Nria-Dappa