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Seplat taking bold step at achieving United Nations’ SDGs 4 target

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When the name Seplat Petroleum Development Corporation (Seplat) is mentioned to a secondary school student in Edo or Delta state, what comes to mind is the PEARLS quiz competition. Over the past eight years, the quiz competition, which is put together by Seplat, has promoted excellence, sportsmanship, culture and infrastructural development among schools in both states.

Launched in 2012, the Pearl Quiz programme is part of Seplat’s contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) 4 of the United Nations, which is to promote quality education by ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education by helping to promote life-long learning opportunities for the teeming youth population.

The need for intervention is important given the state of educational indices in Nigeria. About 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school. Only 61 percent of 6-11 year-olds regularly attend primary school and only 35.6 percent of children aged 36- 59 months receive early childhood education, according to data made available by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Since inception, winners of the competition have received prizes that are supposed to help their school move closer to achieving sustainable development goal 4. Projects that have been delivered to schools through the initiative over the years include a language laboratory, 3 roofing projects, decked block-of-classrooms, interlocking stones for an entire school premises designed to stave off erosion, 5 computer laboratories in different schools and 4 brand new school buses.

This year, the overall wining school received N7million. The first runner-up received N3million, while the secondrunner received N1million. Students and teachers were also rewarded with laptops, cash prizes, and learning materials, including stationary.

Speaking at the 8th edition of the quiz competition organized by the establishment in partnership with its JV partner, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) held recently at Imaguero College, Benin City, the Chief Executive Officer of the oil giant, Austin Avuru, noted that the initiative is aimed at promoting academic excellence, rewarding diligence and raising the quality of education in its operational areas.

Avuru, represented by Chima Njoku, General Manager ( Western Assets, SEPLAT) opined that the annual quiz competition is designed to rekindle the spirit of academic excellence and healthy competition in youths in the states by motivating, encouraging and rewarding the scholarship spirit in their young minds as well as inculcating the principles of team work on them.

Over 608 schools have participated in the programme while winning students and schools have received cash prizes and projects. Avuru, assured that the company remains committed in partnering with the governments of Edo and Delta to building the confidence and capacities of students to excel in their examinations.

He however, commended the Edo state government for hosting the event in a conducive environment and the Delta state government for hosting the competition in the past.

Earlier, Chioma Nwachuku, general manager, External Affairs and Communications, said eight schools from Delta State and nine in Edo state qualified for the knockout stage.

Nwachuku listed the schools that participated at the knockout stage in Delta state to include Federal Government College, Warri, Deeper Life High School, Opete, Udu local government area, Peniel Academy, Agbor, Divine Academy High School, Sapele and Delta Steel Company (DSC) Technical High School, Aladja.

She also listed Don Bosco Science Academy, Ukhun, Ekpoma, University of Benin Demonstration Secondary School, Benin and Pioneer Education Centre, Benin among the nine Edo State based schools that participated at the knockout stage.

She said after a rigorous and challenging competition, Don Bosco Science Academy, Ikhun, Ekpoma, Edo State, Brano High School, Benin, Peniel Academy, Agbor and Deeper Life High School Opete, Udu, Delta State qualified for the final stage respectively.

Nwachuku who explained that the Seplat Pearls Quiz is implemented in two stages, added that in the first stage, all participating public and private secondary schools take part in qualifying test while in the second stage all qualified schools from the test partook in the elimination stage until a champion emerge in the final competition.

In his address, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, commended the management and staff of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, for the consistency in organizing the quiz competition for an uninterrupted eight years.

Obaseki, who was represented by Jimoh Ijegbai), commissioner for education noted that there is no nation in the world where education is solely funded by the government.

He however, expressed his administration’s willingness to collaborate with professionals, non-governmental organizations, research institutions, entrepreneurs among others to improve the life chances of children through the application of science, technology and innovation.

Also in his remarks, Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa represented by Emmanuel Amgbaduba, Commissioner for Oil and Gas expressed gratitude to the management of Seplat Petroleum Development Company for putting together an event that promotes the Sustainable Development Goals and promotes healthy competition among students.

At the end of the final competition, Don Bosco Science Academy, Ekpoma beat Peniel Academy, Agbor with 74 points against 58 points to emerge winner while Deeper Life High School, Udu, Delta state defeated Brano High School, Benin with 68 points against 64 points to third place position.

By the result, Don Bosco Science Academy clinched the star prize of N7million, N150,000 scholarship grant to the three winning students, trophy and other sundry prizes.

In an interview with Businessday, the principal of Don Bosco Science Academy, who simply identified herself as Mrs Joseph commended Seplat for the competition.

Joseph who said Don Bosco Science Academy is not new to winning in quiz competitions noted that the school came third in the 2018 Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) national science quiz competition and first in

Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) quiz competition respectively.

She also added that one of the students Alikah Joseph Ehiagwina who is now a beneficiary of Seplat scholarship emerged one of the highest scorers in last year Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations in the country.

She noted that the students were taught not essentially for competition but to excel in all their academic pursuits.

According to her, we are very happy for winning the Seplat Pearls quiz competition. This is the first time the school is participating in the competition.

“The school is just four years old, and within that short period we are happy to say that we have been making good record. At this competition we only want our students to participate and compete with other students. But we are happy that the efforts have paid off,” she said.

The Indian- nationalized Nigerian however commended the oil giant for imbibing academic excellence on students in the country through quiz competition as well as contributing to the infrastructural development of schools in Edo and Delta states.

“In Don Bosco Science Academy we teach students preventive system of education. We don’t punish them. No violent, no beating and we prevent them from committing frauds.

On her part, Anita Alika, one of the school’s science teachers dedicated the victory to the team of teachers, who she said work hard to deliver results.

“We really give thanks to God and all the hand work of our dedicated team of teachers have paid off. “Seplat has really made a wonderful difference in the life of these children and in our school.

“This star prize of N7 million project -based cash won by the school today will go along way in developing the school. We are a very new school. We are just four years old, and we are still in the process of building the school.

“So this N7 million is going towards building our school hall, and we thank the management of Seplat for this wonderful grant that they have given to us,” she added.

CRASON recognises cooperatives for promoting socio-economic development

Cooperative Rating and Award Society of Nigeria (CRASON) is set to recognise and reward cooperative societies and its outstanding members for their contributions to the economy, social impact and diligence in cooperative social responsibility at the upcoming National Cooperative award ceremony.

The event, which has been endorsed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) and supervised by the Federal Department of Cooperatives in Nigeria, is aimed at spurring healthy competition and transparency among cooperatives.

Speaking with journalists in Lagos, Victor Oyegoke, president of CRASON, said the event, with the theme, “Strengthening cooperatives to serve as the catalyst for Nigeria’s socio- economic development,” would also use the medium to call on government to supports cooperatives, which is a vital tool in alleviating poverty at grass root level with its reliability in providing loans to its members at a very cheap and subsidised rate.

Giving more details, according to Muhammed Suleiman Bello, chairman of the College of Juro, the awards is divided into three – the project Coopcount, Coopcare, and Coopawards, purposely aimed to galvanise the cooperative sub-sector of the Nigerian economy.

Cooperative is a model to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor in Nigeria, he said.

“There are over 300,000 cooperatives, with over 30,000,000 members, and over 950,000,000,000 given as loans to members. Job creation and employment of over 600,000 has emerged through cooperatives.

“With this analysis, it is clear that cooperatives have contributed immensely to the growth and development of this country and it is high time government starts to delve into it,” Suleiman said.

Agreeing to this fact, Oyegoke said during an interview that “cooperatives have a trillion Naira in asset base. We have given over N950 billion as loan to members. This has a great impact on the economy, so it is high time government takes cooperative seriously and give enough support to this sub-sector of the economy.”

This award ceremony will be held in Abuja will on the 15th and 16th of November 2019. According to the organizers, Yemi Osinbajo, vice president of Nigeria, Muhammed Sabo Nanono, minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, and Abdullahi Adamu, senator of the federal republic and Wale Raji, member of the House of Representatives and Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, governor of Kano State, will be present at the event.