NGC empowers entrepreneurs in NNPC pipelines host communities

The Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has organised a human capacity development workshop for 40 women drawn from different communities that host NNPC pipelines.

This is part of efforts targeted at poverty alleviation and job creation in accordance with its Corporate Social Responsibility. This human capacity development workshop organised for women entrepreneurs drawn from communities in both Lagos and Ogun States that host NNPC pipelines and infrastructure was, however, focused on skills acquisition training, including catering, make-up artistry, fashion designing, hair dressing, computerisation, among other vocations.

Speaking in Abeokuta on the human capacity development training, Saidu Mohammed, managing director, NGC, disclosed that the workshop was organised to appreciate and reciprocate communities’ efforts in protecting NNPC pipelines from vandalism.

The programme tagged ‘2014 Nigerian Gas Comapny Women Empowerment Workshop’, according to Mohammed, who was represented by Gabriel Ahanmisi, director of operations, had been executed in over 200 communities where the company has its facilities, adding that the 2014 edition would not only develop participants’ capacity, but would also provide start-off tools for them.

“The decision to organise this workshop is to empower the women in our host communities in Ogun and Lagos States in becoming more efficient in managing their businesses and therefore make them self-sufficient in all facets of their lives. Our community relations philosophy views the host communities as partners with the desire that they buy into our business opportunities,” he said.

Also, Comfort Adepoju, head, public affairs, NGC, while making remarks at the end of the week-long training held in Ogun and Lagos States, disclosed that the participants were nominated by chiefs and elders of the concerned communities, adding that the participants were also allowed to choose desired vocations.

“The selection of the participants was made by the leaders of the communities involved in Lagos and Ogun States. The vocational skill training also was their own consent; we didn’t impose anything on them, it was their choice,” she explained.

RAZAQ AYINLA