Chevron launches development programme for Nigeria's Delta region

Accra (Greater Accra) 21 May '99

Chevron Corporation has pledged a five million-dollar community development programme to improve the quality of life of the people living in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.

Rev Leon Sullivan, convenor of the Accra African-African American Summit, who announced this at the plenary session on Thursday, said the programme is being undertaken in partnership with his International Foundation for Education and Self Help (IFESH).

The programme aims to address critical social, economic and development issues through skill development, basic and health education, enterprise development and food production.

"This programme will focus on helping them to help themselves", Rev Sullivan said, adding, "we will encourage residents of the Niger Delta to participate actively in and not remain mere spectators of- their own social transformation."

Specific objectives of the programme include training and facilitating the self-employment of approximately 1,000 youths, as well as strengthening the food production capacity of fishermen/farmers in Chevron's area of operations.

It is to provide basic education for primary school children, literacy classes for adults and teacher training for primary school teachers in addition to facilitating the establishment of a self-run, privately funded credit finance co-operative organisation.

It is hoped to provide training for basic business skills and access to credit for existing small businesses.

The IFESH-Chevron partnership is expected to impact on some 26,000 people at the end of the five-year term. They include fishermen, women, teachers, community leaders, the youth and children.

Richard Matzke, a director of Chevron, said the partnership with IFESH, called the Western Niger Delta Development Programme," complements Chevron's long-standing commitment to bring benefits to communities near our oil and gas production operations".

George Kirkland, Managing Director of Chevron, Nigeria Limited said the company has so far invested more than 40 million dollars in Nigerian community development projects since 1991.