01:26 GMT 26th January 2012
The Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) - which manages our offshore business in deep water - has also paid about $3 .8 billion in taxes and royalties over the same period.
Development initiatives
In addition to our revenue payments, we support and finance community development initiatives in the Niger Delta. In 2010, Shell-run operations contributed over $161m to the Niger Delta Development Commission as required by law, while an additional $71m was directly invested by SPDC and SNEPCo towards addressing social and economic development challenges in the region.
Our sustainable community development initiatives focus on economic empowerment for youths and women, education, community health, and capacity building/development via the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) model. As part of the economic empowerment initiative, we launched a micro-credit programme in 1998, which has so far directly assisted more than 30,000 people to establish or expand their businesses.
Agriculture has featured prominently in our economic empowerment portfolio. A partnership we forged with USAID and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture on cassava enterprise development, led to the introduction of 44 improved varieties that are resistant to cassava mosaic disease. As a result, more than 200,000 farmers planting these improved varieties and some of these farmers are doubling crop yields. SPDC also supports the operations of four Agricultural Resource and Training Centres (ARTCs) which engage in the demonstration of improved farming practices and production of seed stock for distribution to farmers.
SPDC currently supports 27 health facilities in the Niger Delta. More than 880 government-employed community health staff work at these facilities.
In addition, we reached nearly 118,000 people through our mobile health outreach programmes, which provided a range of services including health education, vaccinations, eye-care including distribution of spectacles, treatment of malaria, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, the distribution of insecticide treated bed nets, HIV screening and de-worming of school children.
In March 2010, SPDC and the Rivers State Government launched the first community- based health insurance programme in Nigeria that involves the private sector, government and community. To date, about 8,000 people have enrolled in the scheme that has made health care affordable and accessible to the people. An evaluation by independent consultants carried out in December 2010 showed that while some gaps exist, the scheme has proved to be popular and has helped thousands of people receive medical treatment including vaccinations, maternal care, and a range of services for much lower cost.
In 2009, SPDC and Family Health International (FHI), a non-profit organisation, started handing over control of their highly successful Niger Delta HIV/AIDS response project (NiDAR) to the Nigerian Government. This $2.2m project is Nigeria's first comprehensive HIV/Aids programme at the primary health care level.
In 2009-2010, over 15,000 individuals were tested for HIV/Aids and received counselling. In the same period, over 3,500 pregnant women have received care to prevent mother to child transmission, while over 2,500 people were enrolled in HIV/Aids treatment programmes. Ninety people also began tuberculosis therapy in 2010. In June 2009, the NiDAR programme received an award for collective partnership from the Global Business Coalition, a group of companies that encourage private sector businesses to use their expertise to improve public health through partnerships.
In 2010, SPDC built on the success of the award winning partnership with FHI and the Nigerian Government. The Project, NiDAR Plus, encapsulates not only HIV I Aids activities but includes scaling up health systems performance through an integrated multifaceted approach to health care delivery including maternal, neonatal and child survival services in the Niger Delta region. The programme kicked off in August 2010.
Shell companies in Nigeria will continue to work with all stakeholders - government, communities, NGOs and development agencies- to improve the lives of the people of the Niger Delta.
SPDC wins CSR awards
From Washington to Lagos and Abuja, SPDC has been winning recognition for its pioneering and life-changing investments in the Niger Delta. SPDC emerged Best CSR Oil and Gas Company at the Nigerian Democracy and Development Awards 2011 and African Leadership Lecture Dinner which took place in Abuja.
SPDC was also voted "Best Company in most innovative CSR" in 2011 at the keenly contested Nigeria Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) awards, known as The Social Enterprise Report and Awards (The SERAs) held in Lagos.
In June 2009, SPDC's Niger Delta AIDS Response (NiDAR) programme received an award for collective partnership from the Global Business Coalition, a group of companies that encourage private sector businesses to use their expertise to improve public health through partnerships.
At the Abuja event, the company was commended for many social investments including the Shell Live Wire Nigeria programme, which has trained more than 3,000 young people since 2003 , investment of $2.7m in human capital development as well as payment of about $31 bn to government between 2006-2010.
The President of the Liberian Senate, Sir Cletus Wotorson, handed out the award. In Lagos, SPDC fought off a challenge from British American Tobacco Nigeria, Chevron and Etisalat, and took home the prized trophy at a ceremony that was held at the Muson Centre in Lagos. A key consideration for the award was SPDC's programme Health in Motion, which has impacted positively on the lives of the host communities.
In a short documentary shown before the awards were handed out, SPDC's Afam power project and LiveWIRE programme were highlighted for their roles in increasing power generation and helping young people to start their own businesses.
SPDC worked with Family Health International, a non-profit organisation, to set up NiDAR- Nigeria's first comprehensive HIV/Aids programme at primary health care level. The programme was expanded to include maternal, neonatal and child survival services in August 2010.
Commenting on the awards, Shell's Vice President HSE and Corporate Affairs, Tony Attah, said, 'We've worked very hard to try to improve the lot of the communities in which we operate, and we're happy at the recognition. We see them as strong acknowledgement of the work we're doing in the Niger Delta, positively touching lives and helping to develop communities. And we are encouraged to do more.'
The SERAs began five years ago with the idea of 'promoting corporate social responsibility and sustainability in Nigeria'. The process starts with submission of entries by participating organisations, field trips to cited CSR projects, voting by the general public and deliberations by a team of ninejudges who make the final decisions about the winners. Corporate Awards were given in 13 different categories in which Shell was short listed in two.
Last year, SPDC won the SERAs for promotion of Child and Maternal Health and Poverty Reduction.
Inspiring accounts at CSR road shows
People related inspiring accounts of being assisted by SPDC's initiatives in a series of pioneering road shows across the Niger Delta and in Abuja. The road shows had kicked off in Port Harcourt and moved to Yenagoa, Lagos, Abuja and Warri, giving people the opportunity to relate their stories of being helped by the company's massive social investment in health, economic empowerment, human development and partnership. The theme of the road shows was Powering Progress Together.
Government officials, diplomats, NGOs and development organisations attended the sessions. SPDC MD, Mutiu Sunmonu said inAbuja, 'I am excited about today's event because it is the first of its kind for us. We know from our work in the Niger Delta, that no single actor can meet the scale, complexity and resources required to respond to the challenges of development in communities.
That is why we have increasingly partnered with other business entities, government agencies, NGOs and community-based organisations to plan and deliver on our social performance commitments to achieve the desired impact and sustainability."
In an address, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, commended SPDC for its GMoU initiative. He said, 'No other question preoccupies the minds of the people of the Niger Delta more than rapid development. And peace is the bedrock of all development. Therefore, let this forum mark the beginning of a brighter and more hopeful co-operation and prosperity for the Niger Delta region and Nigeria in general.'
The Amayanabo ofNembe Kingdom, Dr. Edmund Daukoru who chaired the occasion said, 'I've come all the way from Bayelsa State to associate with the success of the GMoU and other programmes, which I wish could be the standard for all Nigerian communities.'
Beneficiaries who gave testimonies included Shade Aderogba, who enjoyed all-year round health care, including giving birth under the Community Health Insurance Scheme at Obio Cottage Hospital; Diana Marcus who set up her own business with Live Wire support; and Chief IS YoungDede, the chairperson of Nembe City Development Foundation. Chief YoungDede, who is also the palace secretary of the Amayanabo ofNembe Kingdom, enthralled the audience with accounts of many projects that have been executed including land/marine transport, guest house, roads, ICT centre and printing press. He added, 'We're now a Foundation capable of attracting support from far and near.'
But perhaps, the star of the day was Precious Njoku, a young man who said he couldn't stay out of trouble in his community until he got trained as a welder under the GMoU programme, and is now employed by a big construction company in Port Harcourt. 'My story has changed for good,' he declared to the applause of the audience.
'It is stories like Precious's that encourage us,' said Vice President HSE and Corporate Affairs, Tony Attah, as he reviewed the success of the road shows. 'We will continue to invest in the wellbeing of our people as we do business in the Niger Delta, and ask other stakeholders including communities themselves to be part of this noble effort.'
The guests at the Abuja road show included the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, Bert Ronhaar, the Head of the UN Mission to Nigeria, Daudu Traore and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Joseph Ajienka.
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