The Green Energy International Limited/Lekoil and Gas Investment Limited (GEIL/LEKOIL) Joint Venture has awarded scholarships and bursaries to over 1,200 students in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. The educational grants, which cut across primary, secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels, were executed in partnership with the Ugama Ekede, Ayama Ekede, Asukama, and Asukoyet Host Community Development Trust (UAAA HCDT), under the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

In addition to the scholarships, the Trust commissioned key infrastructure projects, including the newly constructed Asukama Community Town Hall, the renovated Community Primary School in Asukoyet, and a rehabilitated Universal Basic Education (UBE) block at the Community Secondary School in Ekede. Chairman of the UAAA HCDT Board of Trustees, Asuk Nathan Sampson, stated that more than 20 projects were currently underway across the four communities, with several scheduled for commissioning later this year.

“All the projects being commissioned today, including the scholarship awards, were made possible through the statutory 3% operational expenditure (OPEX) contributions by GEIL/LEKOIL, as mandated by the PIA,” Sampson noted. He commended the Joint Venture for its consistent support, emphasizing that all development efforts were based on community-identified priorities.

Representing the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Kingsley Ehiaguina, Assistant Director of Host Communities Development and Administration, highlighted the UAAA HCDT’s success as proof of the PIA’s impact. He revealed that 143 Host Community Development Trusts have been incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), with 80 currently functional, and described the initiative as a key step in ensuring sustainable development for oil-producing communities.