Texaco donates hybrid library to riverine school in Ondo

TEXACO Nigeria Outershelf Limited has donated a hybrid library with an attractive building equipped with Internet facilities and other basic amenities to Ilaje High School, Igbokoda in Ilaje Local Council of Ondo State to improve education and facilitate learning among the students and teachers of the riverine area.

It was the initiative of a Chevron Company Operators of Oil Milling List (OML) 132 and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), who awarded the contract on August 14, 2014 and completed it within the three- month agreement with 0% mobilization for the contractor.

According to the Director, Deepwater and Production Sharing Contract, Mr. Ewing Jeffry, who was represented at the commissioning ceremony by the Manager, Communications, Policy, Government and Public Affairs Department, Sola Adebawo, “the project was in line with the principles of Deep Offshore Community Affairs Group (DOGAG).”

He said further that the DOGAG views the entire country as the company’s community and all its community engagement programmes were
channeled towards the development and advancement of those various communities.

Adebawo, an alumnus, was among the second set of the school.

He state that the company with its Agbami co-venturers also donated a fully equipped chest clinic to Ondo State Government in 2011 and implemented the Roll Back Malaria programme in Igbokoda in response to the need to curtail the incessant malaria outbreak in the riverine communities of the state.

“The hybrid library was implemented with the support of the government and people of Ondo State. We appreciate this support,” he said.

The Group General Manager of National Petroleum Investment Management services (NAPIMS), Jonathan Okehs, who was represented by the Supervisor of Community Relations, Nkwo Hellen, said NNPC collaborated with Texaco Nigeria Limited to ensure improved standard of education in the country.

She said they sponsored the donation of the library because “we know that education is not only an instrument of social change but an investment in national development.”

According to her: “One of the projects is the hybrid library we are commissioning today. The library is borne out of a deliberate effort by the NNPC and Texaco Nigeria Outer Shelf Limited to intervene in human capacity-development- a critical sector of the economy.”

Earlier, the Commissioner for Education, Jide Adejuyigbe, who was represented by Mr. Ogundolie Wande, the Director of Planning and Research stated that inadequate modern library facility is a major challenge to effective learning and teaching in Nigeria.

While thanking the companies and the state ministry for their kind gesture, the Principal of the school, Mr. Olawale Mesogboriwon said the school was enjoying the philanthropic gestures of the companies in the past, like the e-learning and other benefits shared among the schools in the area.