Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has moved to tackle the problems of potable water, energy and food scarcity in the Niger Delta region and the nation, through engagement of secondary school students in science and innovation.
Speaking, on Monday, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the General Manager, External Relations of Shell, Igo Weli, said the skills acquired by the students during the training would go a long way in resolving many water, energy and food problems facing the nation.
Weli said Shell’s Nigeria Explorers’ Exhibition Event 2018, was aimed at acquainting younger Nigerian generation and scientists to be able to bring the nation to the global scene in problem solving through scientific applications.
Speaking through the Manager, Social Performance Sub-Saharan Africa, Emmanuel Anyi, Weli said, “To showcase this, they have been working on projects that aim to provide solutions, in part or in full, to challenges faced in the Niger Delta. Today, they are here to show you what they have come up with and share their learning with you.
“Over the last eight months, we have had the opportunity to equip over 120 young Nigerian students and their teachers across 12 schools in Lagos and Rivers State with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and complex problem-solving skills by leveraging a wide spectrum of opportunities to solve local challenges with global impact.
“This programme is designed to equip young people with a diverse range of tools and problem-solving skills to address the complex challenges affecting the food-water-energy nexus and its linkages,” he stated.
Weli, however, noted that Shell has a history of supporting education, stressing that the firm has invested about $5.2 million in education in 2017.