No fewer than 90 pupils from Nigeria’s six geo-political zones have been awarded full-board six-year secondary school scholarships administered by the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) in the third set of the NNPC/SNEPCo National Cradle-to-Career (NC2C) programme designed to give top quality education to bright but indigent youths. The latest awards bring to 471 the total sponsorship since the NNPC/SNEPCo NC2C was introduced five years ago. The latest beneficiaries have joined the other recipients who are enrolled in six leading private schools across the country.

Speaking at the recent scholarship award ceremony at Top Faith International Secondary School, Akwa Ibom State, Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Moses Ekpo, commended NNPC/SNEPCo for the success of the NC2C which he said had achieved its purpose by helping to bridge educational inequalities resulting from socio-economic differences.

Represented by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Prof. Nse Essien, Ekpo said, “NNPC and SNEPCO amongst their numerous educational intervention projects have gone a long way in complementing Governments’ efforts at providing all-inclusive and equitable quality education for all citizens. This will help the government towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 4 which is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.

The Managing Director of SNEPCo, Mr. Bayo Ojulari, who was represented at the award ceremony by the company’s Bonga Asset Operations Manager, Elohor Aiboni, said part from supporting access to quality education, NNPC, SNEPCo and its co-venture partners have made huge investments in  educational facilities and infrastructure to further develop knowledge for lifelong learning. “This is why since 2013, NNPC/SNEPCo has built over 30 ICT centres and science blocks in institutions across the country. The efforts of NNPC and our co-venture partners – ExxonMobil, Total and Agip – are laudable in this regard, as they have supported us to consistently invest resources in the future leaders of this great nation.”

The scholars, selected from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, are enrolled in Premiere Academy, Abuja; Nigerian Tulip International College, Kaduna; LeadForte Gate International Secondary School, Lagos; Top Faith International School, Uyo; Edgewood College, Lagos; Saint Francis Catholic Secondary School, Lagos; and Grundtvig International Secondary School, Onitsha.