Oritsegbubemi Omatseyin
Lagos — Seplat Energy Plc, a leading Nigerian independent energy company, has been named Best in Social Impact/Human Capacity Development at the Sustainability, Enterprise and Responsibility Awards, SERAS, Africa for 2024.
The Company was announced as winner of the award at the 18th edition of the SERAS Africa held at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos. The organisers lauded Seplat Energy’s corporate social investment programmes in health, education and entrepreneurship spheres as well as the programmes’ strong impacts in Seplat Energy’s host communities and states.
The SERAS Africa is an annual project, which aims to promote as well as raise awareness about the roles that organisations play with emphasis on their responsibility towards stakeholders and the social development of Africa. It aims to substantiate the case that corporations who are socially responsible stand to gain huge benefits with regards to economic, social and environmental capital.
According to the organisers, Seplat Energy educational programmes are in alignment with the United Nations sustainable development goals/objectives 1, 3 & 4 (SDG 1,3 & 4), which aim for poverty reduction/eradication, healthy lives for all, and access to quality education.
Some of the pogrammes executed by Seplat Energy in this regard are Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP), PEARLs Quiz, Seplat National Undergraduate Scholarships, Seplat Innovation Programme and Seplat JV Eye Can See programme.
The STEP programme equips teachers and Chief Inspectors of Education with digital teaching skills, leadership training and income diversification skills.
Through the Seplat PEARLs Quiz, scholarships have been awarded to winning secondary school students and have contributed directly to improving the infrastructure of secondary schools by awarding prize money to winning secondary schools.
The Seplat National Undergraduate Scholarship began in 2014 for host communities, states, and the nation. Since then, the company has provided scholarships to Federal and State University undergraduate students of which a significant percent are from its host communities.
The Seplat Innovators Programme is creating STEAM Laboratories which are collaborative spaces where the study of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics can be integrated through hands-on experiences in a pure laboratory or combined classroom-laboratory setting.
The Seplat JV Eye Can See programme has been delivering critical eye care services—free screenings, surgeries, and distribution of eyeglasses—to thousands of underserved residents, reaffirming the joint venture’s unwavering commitment to improving healthcare access in its host communities.
Commenting on the award, the founder SERAS Africa, Ken Egbas, said all awardees have shown exemplary commitment and leadership in driving sustainability across the continent; of which their contributions must be recognised, rewarded and celebrated.
The ceremony had in attendance companies from all sectors across African economies, industry regulators, not-for-profit organisations, public sector players, and media, amongst other stakeholders.
