Groups equip youths with First Aid skills

An indigenous energy company, Seplat Energy Plc., has partnered with Health Emergency Initiative (HEI) to build the capacity of secondary school students on CPR and First Aid skills necessary to handle pre-hospital emergencies.

The groups are concerned about the growing anxiety, high incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as heart attack, cardiac arrest, and the attendant fatalities among Nigerians in recent years.

The initiative underscores the company’s social impact objective of making a difference through youth empowerment and became imperative.

Director, External Affairs and Sustainability, Seplat Energy Plc., Dr. Chioma Nwachukwu said Seplat was committed to empowering the youths and touching lives, which explained why it keyed into the life-saving initiative at the flag-off the four-day programme held in Lagos,

According to her, CPR and First Aid skills are needed by all and critical to saving lives during pre-hospital emergencies, urging other corporate organisations and individuals to adopt such laudable Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by sponsoring more students.

She pointed out that HEI has a proven track record in transparency, accountability and project implementation, assuring increased collaboration with HEI towards expanding the footprint of its lifesaving initiatives.

In his speech, the Executive Director of Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), Paschal Achunine, expressed profound gratitude to Seplat Energy Plc., for the huge support.

He praised the company for its commitment to the sustainability of its operating environment, bearing in mind that any investment in young people would translate to business continuity.

While equally appreciating the goodwill of the Lagos State Government, Achunine noted that a total of 83 students, across 30 Secondary Schools, from the six Educational Districts in the state, participated in the programme.

He added that First Responders Clubs would be set up in the schools, in line with the ‘Train the Trainer’ model of the scheme.

“Similarly, activities such as essay competition, quizzes and debates would be instituted in the schools to foster a lifesaving culture in the State,” he said.

Speaking earlier at the event, the representative of the Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, Mr. Ashaola Femi, applauded Seplat Energy for the huge investment in young talents.

He acknowledged that the scheme could create systemic change from the current negative culture of taking pictures and videos at the scene of emergencies instead of assisting the victims.

He added that it was this noble objective that informed the approval of the programme by the Ministry of Education for HEI to train all senior secondary school students in Lagos earlier in the year.