By Hosea Parah, Abuja
Seplat Energy Plc, a leading Nigerian independent energy company, has been honored with the Sustainability, Enterprise and Responsibility Awards (SERAS) Africa’s Education Intervention category for 2023. The award recognizes Seplat Energy’s outstanding contributions to education and its commitment to social development in Africa.
The SERAS Africa is an annual initiative that aims to promote and raise awareness about the responsibilities of organizations towards stakeholders and the social development of Africa. It highlights the benefits that socially responsible corporations can gain in terms of economic, social, and environmental capital.
The award was presented to Seplat Energy at the 17th edition of the SERAS Africa, held at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos. The organizers commended Seplat Energy’s Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) for its significant impact on the company’s host communities and states, among other interventions. Seplat Energy emerged as the winner in a category that included renowned organizations such as Julius Berger, Airtel, Dangote Sugar, Botswana Savings Bank, and TotalEnergies.
The organizers highlighted that Seplat Energy’s educational programs align with Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure access to education for vulnerable populations, reduce the number of out-of-school children, and improve the quality of education.
Since its inception in 2020, STEP has provided digital teaching skills, leadership training, and income diversification to 905 teachers and 87 Chief Inspectors of Education. Moreover, it has supported the learning of over 10,000 students by equipping them with new teaching skills. Seplat Energy’s other educational Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives include the Seplat Pearl’s Quiz, National Undergraduate Scholarship, and Seplat Innovators Program.
The Seplat Pearl’s Quiz, initiated in 2012, has impacted 57,875 teachers and students from 11,575 participating schools. Winning secondary school students have been awarded scholarships worth N8.1 million, and secondary schools have received prize money worth N101 million to improve their infrastructure.
The Seplat National Undergraduate Scholarship, which began in 2014, has provided scholarships to 780 Federal and State University undergraduate students, with 34 percent of the beneficiaries coming from Seplat Energy’s host communities.
The Seplat Innovators Program focuses on creating STEAM Laboratories, collaborative spaces where science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics are integrated through hands-on experiences.
Ken Egbas, the founder of the SERAS awards, praised the companies listed for this year’s project for their commitment and leadership in driving sustainability across Africa. He emphasized the importance of bridging the divide between private enterprise and public interest for the future success of any business.
Chioma Afe, the Director of External Affairs and Social Performance at Seplat Energy, expressed gratitude to the organizers of SERAS Africa for recognizing and trusting the Seplat Energy brand. She highlighted that Seplat Energy’s interventions in education encompass the entire education ecosystem, including infrastructure development and teacher empowerment.
The ceremony brought together companies from various sectors across African economies, industry regulators, not-for-profit organizations, public sector players, and media, among other stakeholders. Members of the Seplat Energy team present at the event included Uche Anajemba, Senior Manager of Business Partnering, Diversity & Inclusion; Esther Icha, CSR Manager; Stanley Opara, Manager of Corporate Communications; Charles Ifediba, CSR Lead; and Josephine Kola-Ajibade, Senior CSR Adviser.