As a way of improving and strengthening the livelihood systems of it’s host communities,an indegenous oil and gas company operating in Adoni axis of Rivers State, Green Energy International Limited(GEIL), has organised a workshop on Cooperate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustenance.
In his opening remarks,the chairman of the company,Prof. Anthony Adegbulugbe said the workshop was organised to provide a unique opportunity to brainstorm with sustainability experts in order to strengthen the social, environmental and economic development outcomes in the Communities where GEIL operates with support and collaboration of key institutions.
Chronicling the company’s efforts to empower the indigenes of its host community, he said the thrust of CSR and sustainability work was clearly on capacity building, empowerment of communities, socio-economic growth, environment protection, promotion of green and energy efficient technologies among other things adding that the company has continued to strengthen communities’ capacity to drive their own development agenda.
“The stakeholder workshop is to develop an inclusive CSR and sustainability framework for advancing policy recommendations on Environmental, Social and Governance issues pertaining to driving development in our target communities across key issues on natural resource conservation and management, community electrification, sustainable livelihood and agro- forestry”, he said.
On her part,the permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kindness Egbelo, lauded the thrusts of the programme which she noted are important parts of biodiversity conservation, regretting that the biodiversity is under threat from the same people that depend on it.
She asked GEIL to develop a baseline data for proper identification of natural endowment for planning and decision making to conserve the natural resources for sustainable development.
Represented by Mrs Odoya Nkemdirim, she disclosed that one of the implementation activity of biodiversity action plan in Rivers State in partnership with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was the conservation of 50 hectares of Niger Delta Barrier Island seriously endangered unique species of Niger Delta Elephant in Andoni part of the state.
Speaking to Newsmen,the director of sustainability, Mr Ayo Olojede stated that the company’s decision to embark on the approach was informed by the decision by the company to deepen the level of resources allocation to the community.
“As the company is growing,we need to touch more lives,we need people who are knowledgeable on CSR to come and interface with the community in a humane way so that we can deliver on our expectations in reaching out to the Communities and touching more lives”, he disclosed.
