Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, the operator of the NPDC/SEPLAT Joint Venture assets, OMLs 4, 38 & 41, has expanded access to equal and qualitative higher education with the commissioning of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Sapele Teaching Centre, in Delta State in partnership with the Sapele Okpe community.
The project and the accreditation of the centre, which cost over N126 million were funded from NPDC/SEPLAT JV fund allocation to the Sapele Okpe community under its General Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU) to host oil and gas producing communities by Seplat.
Seplat’s civil engineering team supervised the project and ensured timely project delivery and value for money.
Commenting on the feat, the Chief Executive Officer of Seplat, Roger Brown, commended the community for cooperating with the company in the selection and execution of the project, adding that education is key to economic, political and social dynamics of the society.
He remarked that the teaching centre will make education available and close to the citizenry both in the rural or urban areas of Sapele, Ethiope West and Okpe local government areas and the environs, including providing several women who would not have had the opportunity to attend university outside their area of residence because of the need to take care of their family and in certain cases, support them financially by pursuing daily economic activities.
He explained that access to quality open and distance education in Sapele will boost the local economy and significantly reduce the cost of access to quality education and therefore, many parents who would ordinarily have been discouraged to send their children school because of big financial burden will be encouraged to do so in addition to mitigating against hazards associated with long road travels.
Brown added: “Seplat remains highly committed to providing opportunities for greater educational development for its host communities and Nigeria at large.”
The chairman of Sapele Okpe community, Patrick Akamovba, said that access to education in its full and extensive sense means free and unrestricted, unimpeded and opportunities for many people to attain knowledge, expertise, and abilities available at the university level so that they can optimally participate and contribute to the development of the society.
The centre was commissioned by NOUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Adamu, who was represented by the Deputy VC (Academics), Professor Uduma Oji Uduma.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Orhue 1, Major General Felix Mujakperuo (rtd), the Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Patrick Muoboghare, Professor Sam Oyovbaire among several other important personalities from Okpe kingdom.