By Ernest Udoh-Robert
Savannah Energy, an oil and gas company operating in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, has offered full scholarship to 50 indigent students to undergo courses of their choice in any Nigerian university.
Through the Savannah Energy Education And Internship Training SEE-IT Programme, the company, January 31, 2025, at Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort, Uyo, presented the awards to the beneficiaries.
Explaining, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Olapade Durotoye, said that the award covered tuition, books, feeding and all other school requirements.
He added that that was done to encourage the beneficiaries to concentrate fully on their studies, cautioning that the continuation of the scholarship was subject to the awardees maintaining a cummulative grade point average of not lower than 3.5.
Savannah Energy, according to the managing director, was not in Akwa Ibom just to do business, but to invest in the future of the state through the development of her people.
Durotoye noted that the company was interested in standing by intelligent young persons who are passionate about education, but are constrained by lack of resources to pursue their dreams.
To put this support into effect, he said that his company was partnering Inoyo Toyo Foundation to ensure that opportunities such as this was given to young brilliant minds to have access to quality education.
Mr. Durotoye, who was obviously elated over the performance of the first batch of 50 students that the company is currently sponsoring in school, urged the present beneficiaries not to be distracted, but to stay focused, so as not to forfeit the opportunity now in their hands.
The head of Stakeholders Relations and Regional Manager of Savannah Energy, Mrs. Nkoyo Etuk, disclosed that they received 1,481applications from would-be beneficiaries from Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, but the scholarship programme was only for 50 people, so Inoyo Toyo Foundation was charged with the responsibility of selecting beneficiaries through a transparent and merit-based selection process that included computer examination and interviews.
Speaking further, she said, “It is important to mention that beyond the scholarships, the beneficiaries are also trained by leadership and peak performance consultants throughout the duration of the scholarship, to ensure they achieve great results and are better prepared for the society ahead of them.
“Last year, we expanded the SEE-IT programme with the launch of the Environmental Awareness Club, across 20 public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State.”
Some of the 20 public schools are: Secondary School Edo, Esit Eket Local Government Area, Community Secondary Commercial School Ikot Ebiere, Onna LGA, Ubodung Community Secondary School Oruko, Urueoffong/Oruko LGA, Methodist Secondary School, Ibiaku Ishiet, Uruan LGA, Community Comprehensive High School, Ntak Afaha, Ukanafun LGA.
She added that education was an important part of Savannah’s sustainability strategy, where the ‘Energy First’ pillar focuses on promoting socio-economic prosperity within host countries of operation in Africa.
This pillar, she explained was aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is about quality education, helping to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all.
“The SEE-IT programme is an example of how we are contributing to the development of our host communities in Nigeria”, Etuk added.
The Akwa Ibom State State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, represented by the immediate past Commissioner of Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet, commended Savannah Energy for giving back to the society.
“It is this kind of collaboration companies should engage in”, he noted.
While highlighting the importance of education as the foundation for progress that defines the future, he enumerated the success of the state in education to include producing the best science student in the country that emerged from a state public school, payment of wardrobe allowances to teachers, among others.
The governor stressed on the need for the beneficiaries to be studious and remain focus for a guaranteed future.
Eno urged other corporate bodies to emulate the gesture Savannah Energy was offering the people.
One high point of the event was a testimony by a physically challenged beneficiary, Miss Shania Wisdom Effiong.
According to her, she lost her parents at a tender age, and was maltreated and left alone by relatives, until she was picked up by Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA.
Since then, she has been living with one Mrs. Emem Ette, who sent in her application for the scholarship, after which she wrote the examination like every other person without knowing anybody.
She is a beneficiary of the scholarship and studying Law at the University of Uyo. Her life, she said, has been a result of God’s mercy.
Dignitaries at the event included the immediate-past Commissioner for Culture and Tourism Sir Chatles Udoh; the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic DVC), Prof. Antonia Essien; Prof. Enobong Joshua (chairman screening committee of the scholarship programme); Dr Andy Eyo of ECWEES, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO); and the Permanent Secretary, Secondary Schools Education Board Mr. Okon Effiong Tom.
