A total of 694 youths from five coastal communities in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State are set to receive education, skills and business support under a human-capital development initiative by Oriental Energy Resources Ltd (OERL) and the Effiat and Mbo Host Communities Development Trust.
The intervention, covering youths from Effiat, Uda, Udesi, Ebughu and Ewang, is structured to address different pathways to economic advancement, with 400 students receiving bursaries, 180 beneficiaries accessing enterprise and business grants, 74 undergoing skills training and another 40 receiving scholarships.
The initiative was unveiled in Uyo during the orientation ceremony for beneficiaries of the Trust’s human capital and business development programmes, signalling a shift from short-term community interventions towards investments designed to improve education, employability and entrepreneurship among young people in the oil-producing communities.
Managing Director of OERL, Mr Mustafa Indimi, said the programme reflected the company’s commitment to sustainable development in its host communities. Indimi, represented by the Head of Community and Government Relations, Mr Uwem Ite, said the company had consistently remitted three per cent to the Trust in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.
He challenged the beneficiaries to translate the support into tangible improvements in their lives and communities, saying the expectation was for them to emerge as “ambassadors for sustainable development” as well as ambassadors of the Trust and Oriental Energy.
Chairman of the Trust’s Board of Trustees, Mr Inam Inam, a lawyer, commended OERL for its partnership with the Trust and urged the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunities provided. He added that funds would also be disbursed to students in tertiary institutions to help sustain their education, reinforcing the Trust’s strategy of using investment in young people to strengthen the long-term social and economic prospects of the host communities.
