Recently, the management team of one of the leading players in the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy, Seplat Energy Plc, led by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Roger Brown, paid a courtesy call on the Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori.
Receiving the team at the Exco Chambers, Government House, Asaba, Governor Oborevwori lauded Seplat Energy for its consistent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives and strong engagement with host communities.
The Governor, who extolled the company for its approach to community relations, particularly its empowerment programmes, education support, and healthcare interventions, said such programmes were critical and essential in maintaining peace in oil-producing areas. He assured the oil and gas firm and other investors in Delta of continued support and a conducive business environment for unhindered operations in the state.
“Before I became governor, I closely monitored your operations; how you engage with your host communities and empower them. From school donations to teachers’ training and medical outreach, you have shown a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility. So, what you are saying today is not new to me.
“All the efforts you have made regarding community empowerment, donation of learning materials, teachers’ training, and other CSR activities are commendable. These are the things that foster peace between international oil companies and their host communities. Your efforts promote peace, and with peace, production increases. As I have said in my MORE Agenda, we will continue to provide the enabling environment for you to do more,” Governor Oborevwori said.
While commending Seplat Energy’s employment policy that sourced 30 per cent of its operational workforce from Delta State, the Governor, however, called for greater inclusion of host community members in leadership roles within the company, saying, “it is not just about employing the locals; we want to start seeing them in management positions as well. I believe that one day, this will happen.”
Continuing, Governor Oborevwori said, “I have been briefed recently about the challenges your company is facing in your deep operations. I feel you intentionally left that off-camera. But I want to assure you that such issues will not happen again. Today, we are respected at the national level because of our contributions to the centre, and that is only possible through peace and cooperation.
“We believe in resolving grievances through dialogue rather than confrontation, because confrontation doesn’t benefit the people or the companies. If you are not working, there is no way you can comply with your CSR. As a people, we know that economic sabotage reduces our crude oil production quota, discourages investors, and limits job and wealth creation. I assure you that we will continue to work together for mutual benefit.”
Earlier in his speech, the Chief Executive Officer of Seplat Energy Plc, Mr Roger Brown, said Seplat Energy had a long-standing relationship with the state government in its 15 years of existence. He disclosed that the company had grown significantly and established a strong presence in Nigeria’s energy sector, adding that from the beginning, Delta State has been a vital part of its success story.
According to him, two of the company’s seven onshore blocs are located in Delta State, pointing out that Seplat Energy will continue to make major investments in the state. “Today, Seplat Energy holds 11 oil and gas blocs across Nigeria, seven of them are onshore and four are offshore in shallow water, following our acquisition of ExxonMobil’s shallow water assets at the end of last year.
“Of these 11 blocs, we operate eight. Many of these blocs hold significant reserves of oil and gas, several of which are located right here in Delta State. Our key producing assets in the state include Amukpe, Sapele, Ovhor, and Mosogar, among others. These areas contribute materially to our production profile.
“This year, we completed a major infrastructure milestone, the commissioning of a new 90 million standard cubic feet (scf) per day gas processing plant at Sapele. This plant is pivotal for our future gas strategy and aligns with the Federal Government’s drive to increase domestic gas utilisation.
“For the first time in our history, Seplat is also investing in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) at the Sapele facility, both of which are on track to come online next year,” Mr Brown said, even as he, also, announced plans to end routine gas flaring this year, five years ahead of Nigeria’s national target.
Continuing, he said, “Looking ahead, we are excited about the potential to bring our ‘Tree for Life’ initiative to Delta State. This ambitious reforestation programme targets the planting of 100,000 trees, and we are exploring how to scale this even further in partnership with your administration.
‘’Beyond our operational assets’’, Mr Brown said, ‘’Delta State is equally important to us in terms of human capital’’, adding that out of the 500 employees that the company absorbed from the ExxonMobil acquisition, 150 of them (nearly 30 per cent) are from Delta State.
While saying that this speaks volumes about the quality and capacity of talent within Delta State, the Chief Executive Officer of the company disclosed that Seplat Energy remains deeply committed to improving lives across three core areas in its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which he listed to include healthcare, education, and access to energy.
He outlined the company’s ongoing CSR interventions to include impacting over 50,000 students through the Pearls Quiz Programme, establishing five STEAM labs, and providing eye care to 2,000 patients under the “I Can See” initiative.
Across the State, we maintain active relationships with 78 host communities, ranging from producing communities to those along pipeline corridors. These relationships are foundational to our operations and are built on trust, transparency, and mutual benefit.
“We are also deeply committed to local content development. Over the past 10 years, Seplat Energy has awarded contracts worth over ₦500 billion to local contractors in Delta State alone. We see this as being essential, not just for business continuity but for creating shared prosperity and fostering the right to operate responsibly,” he said, adding that Seplat Energy is committed to a deep and enduring partnership with Delta State.
