Seplat Energy on Wednesday trained over 350 teachers under its Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) to enable them to acquire modern learning methods, in line with creative thinking for the development of education in Edo and Delta states.
Speaking during the flag-off of the STEP empowerment programme on Wednesday in Benin, Chioma Afe, the Director of External Affairs and Sustainability, Seplat, said the gesture was part of its corporate social responsibility to host communities.
Afe disclosed that the programme started about four years ago, adding that, it was being executed in Edo and Delta states.
“Seplat Energy Corporate Social Responsibility is hinged on improving our host communities, looking at the issues and areas where they have challenges.
“So we looked at the challenges that are economic, social and the ones that will drive the SDG goals.
“We identified five areas of health, education, youth empowerment, access to energy and safe motherhood programme.
“We are improving the education ecosystem with focus on teachers, infrastructure and students. All these are embedded in the Step Programme for teachers as well as the STEAM project,” he said.
According to her, every year, about 350 teachers are selected for the empowerment programme through the ministries of education in Edo and Delta.
Afe added that the initiative was specifically designed to train secondary school teachers in critical thinking by improving their competence to teach students through the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) methodology.
The Representative of the Managing Director, NNPC E&P Limited, Mr. Levi Owunari, said programme was done in partnership with Seplat Energy to roll out the STEP in the companies’ host communities.
Owunari said the initiative was designed to provide and build the capacity of teachers within the NNPC Ltd./Seplat operational communities.
Also speaking, the Delta commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs Rose Ezewu, commended the efforts of NEPL/SEPLAT who for several years have upheld its corporate social responsibility in the Education sector in Edo and Delta.
Represented by the Mrs Winifred Ighavbota, the director of schools in Delta, Ezewu noted there is no doubt that your teachers empowerment project had contributed immensely to enhancing and sustaining the quality of Education in the state.
Mrs Ero Ugiagbe, the Permanent Secretary of Edo ministry of Education who represented the commissioner, Joan Oviawe, also commended Seplat for the empowerment programme.
