Shell companies in Nigeria comprising the Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) said it remitted $142.5 million to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2023.
The SPDC director and country head, corporate relations, Mr Igo Weli, disclosed this in a statement issued yesterday and signed by the manager of communications, media and non-governmental organisations relations, Mr Bamidele Odugbesan.
According to the release, SPDC paid $112.5 million while SNEPCo remitted $30 million compared to $59.04 million by SPDC and $20.73 by SNEPCo in 2022.
Weli said the contributions came from the Shell companies on behalf of themselves and their respective partners – Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC); TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited; Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited – as statutory contributions to the interventionist agency.
He said the company’s support for NDDC was part of its aspirations for the development of the Niger Delta, which had also seen a wide range of social investments, including health and education.
“Our support for NDDC is part of our aspirations for the development of the Niger Delta which has also seen a wide range of social investments, including health and education.
“With the continuous support of our partners, we will continue to discharge our obligations to communities through statutory payments to agencies and projects executed in partnership with stakeholders,” Weli said.
He added that Shell companies in the country had been in the forefront of supporting community development programmes in the country since the 1960s, benefiting many Nigerians.
It stated that support for education led to the award of more than 3,450 secondary school grants, 3,772 university grants and 1,062 cradle-to-career scholarship grants since 2016.
He added: “Another investment has seen the introduction of the health-in-motion programme, providing free medical services directly to communities. Over one million individuals have benefited from the programme since its inception in the early 2000s.
“Also, the global Shell LiveWIRE entrepreneurship programme supported 73 businesses through training and mentorship programmes leading to 97 employment opportunities for Nigerians.”
