L-R: Grace Amadi, General Manager Sustainability, Seplat Energy; Clementina Ojuma, Director of Schools Department, Delta State Ministry of Education; Joan Osa Oviawe, Edo State Commissioner for Education; Joseph Ofili, Business Relations Manager, Seplat Energy; Esther Icha, CSR Manager, during the presentation of a tablet computer to a beneficiary at the 3rd edition of the Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme in Edo State.

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SEPLAT JV trains additional 300 teachers from Edo, Delta States as 3rd edition of its teachers empowerment takes off in Benin City

Per Second NewsAugust 17, 2022373

Seplat Energy Plc, a leading Nigerian independent energy company listed on both the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the London Stock Exchange, has kicked off the 3rd edition of Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) in Benin City, Edo State with about 300 teachers from both Edo and Delta States participating.

The STEP initiative launched in 2022 seeks to promote teacher’s creative thinking, higher student engagement, and a well-rounded education for beneficiaries.

The programme empowers teachers by providing them with resources to support their delivery of quality teaching in Seplat Energy’s host states, Edo and Delta.

The official kick off of this year’s edition was preceded by a four-day residential workshop which provided leadership, self-improvement introduction to Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) training and its application to teaching.

For the 2022 edition, about 905 teachers wrote the online qualifying test, and 300 teachers were selected from both states based one their performances for the 4 day-long residential training. The training which was a huge success, will continue online for another three months.

Opening the workshop, Seplat Energy’s Director, External Affairs and Sustainability, Dr. Chioma Nwachuku, said Seplat Energy in conjunction with its JV partners, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology, decided to embark on the programme to empower teachers towards providing a better education platform for students, the future leaders of the country.

“The initiative is designed to foster creative thinking; problem solving abilities; teacher-student engagement and produce well rounded educated students” she said, adding that this year’s edition features the empowerment of 300 teachers from 90 qualifying schools across Edo and Delta States as well as Chief Inspectors of Education in the states and key personnel of the ministry of education to ensure an impactful delivery of the programme.

Nwachuku, represented by Mr Joseph Ofili, the Business Relations Manager,explained that the participants were split thus —75% public sector, 25% private sector, adding that all participants had been given electronic devices and internet data to continue the online training for the next 3 months.

Nwachuku attributed the success of the programme to the support received from the states’ Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology as well as Seplat Energy’s JV partner- Nigerian Exploration and Production Ltd (NEPL) formally Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Ltd.

The Edo Commissioner for Education, Mrs Joan Osa Oviawe, commended Seplat Energy for STEP Initiative which she branded as a transformative training programme.

She also commended the quality and robustness of courses being offered and urged the teachers to share the learnings from the programme with their colleagues who were unable to be part of it. She also encouraged the teachers to ensure their schools and students benefit from the additional knowledge received from the STEP initiative.

While enumerating some of the immediate positive impacts of the STEP Initiative, Oviawe said the commission will engage the STEP beneficiaries as master trainers to facilitate the planned digital learning training programme for Edo teachers being set up by the state government under its Education reform programme — “Edo Best 2.0”

Impressed by the initiative, the commissioner restated the commitment of the ministry to continue to partner with Seplat Energy and other agencies in delivering the transformative CSR initiative.

Also speaking at the event, the Delta State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs Rose Ezewu, represented by Mrs. Clementina Ojuma, Director of Schools Department, Delta State Ministry of Education, lauded the efforts of Seplat Energy and NPDC for their commitment to Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) to its host states which she noted had sustained the quality education in the two states.

“You have been carefully selected for this training which is an uncommon opportunity for you to gain knowledge and become equipped with skills and tools in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, generally known as STEAM”.

She noted that Delta State had witnessed an increase in students participation in local and national Science and Technology competitions since the launch of the STEP initiative whilst encouraging the teachers to ensure that their schools and students benefit from their learnings.

Over the last two editions, Seplat Energy has empowered 363 persons (inclusive of 49 Chief Inspectors of Education). The Ministry of Education of both Delta and Edo States are very excited by the programme because of the multiplier effect it had had and will continue to have in secondary education. Both states, therefore, have continued to commend Seplat Energy for the feat while indicating their unwavering support for the programme.