Chevron takes seriously its role as a member of the community in Nigeria and is active in many projects promoting health, economic and educational programs.
Chevron Nigeria Ltd. (CNL) provides communities near its operations with power and drinking water – in many cases, directly from company facilities. In several communities, we have purchased and installed electricity generators as well as provided for fuel and servicing.
Responding to Needs of the Niger Delta
Chevron also has contributed more than $140 million to the Niger Delta Development Commission, a government agency with the responsibility of developing the Niger Delta.
In 2005, CNL adopted a new approach to our community engagement in the Niger Delta designed to create participatory development processes to better address the needs of the communities in our areas of operation. This model, called the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU), gives the communities greater roles in the management of their development through newly created regional development councils. CNL signed GMOUs with eight community groups in the Niger Delta.
The objective is to bring peace, stability and reduced conflict to areas where Chevron operates. Together, the GMOUs reach more than 400 communities, villages and chiefdoms and involve some 600,000 community members. CNL supports the process by providing funding for governance, administration, project and partner costs.
Local Nigerian-based nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are essential to the process. NGOs are providing technical assistance and are helping to resolve conflicts that arise from time to time in the communities.
2008 milestones include the following:
- Implementation of the three-year development plans continued.
- Evaluation of the GMOU model was carried out.
- Plans for the renegotiation of the GMOUs were initiated.
- Recognition of the GMOUs increased.
- Accounts of financial transactions were produced by most councils.
- Projects aimed at improving the quality of life were carried out by most councils.
With many projects in the Niger Delta vying for support, an ongoing challenge of the GMOU process is balancing the communities' desire for quick results with the goals of promoting sustainable initiatives that have transparent and accountable processes. A second challenge is nurturing the partnerships needed to resolve multiple development issues that exist in this complex and difficult socioeconomic environment.
Promoting Technology As a Tool for Progress
To boost local availability of technical expertise, Chevron teamed with local partners to establish Nigeria's first Advanced Technology Center for Subsurface Studies. The center, which opened in 2002, is equipped to conduct high-end technical studies. The center's first contract was for the full field simulation study of an undeveloped reservoir in the Meren Field.
Chevron funded the Biotechnology Center of the Federal University of Technology in Yola, in northern Nigeria. The two-story, nine-laboratory facility is designed to help Nigeria use the most modern scientific advances to increase food production and reduce disease. The center is equipped to handle research and training in molecular biology, drug analysis and advanced agricultural technologies. Chevron paid for its construction and provided an endowment of $200,000 for operating expenses.
Fighting HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
Chevron makes generous donations to some NGOs involved in fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. We supported the World Federation for World Peace when it conducted a Free Teens program, under which it organized anti-AIDS seminars for secondary schools in Nigeria. We currently support Positive Action for Treatment Access, a group owned and run by people living with HIV/AIDS, whose goal is to provide skills acquisition and revolving loans for its members. We also built a tuberculosis center in Lagos.
CNL has supported the Nigerian Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS. The organization was initiated to ensure the pooling of resources and efforts by the private and public sectors to overcome the potentially destructive epidemic.
In 2006, CNL partnered with two NGOs – Action Health Incorporated and Positive Action for Treatment Access – in a campus HIV/AIDS awareness program for students. Six universities took part in the first phase of the program.
CNL has donated essential drugs to the following hospitals: Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, Port Harcourt, in Rivers state; General Hospital, Owerri, in Imo state; General Hospital, Okolobiri, in Bayelsa state; and Central Hospital, Warri, in Delta state. CNL also provided funds for the development of four clinics in the Creeks of the Niger Delta.
Supporting Public Health, Education and Culture
The Riverboat Clinic was launched in 2001. This mobile health service serves the health needs of communities along the Escravos and Benin rivers in the western Niger Delta. Onboard services include a full complement of medical staff, medicines and other health supplies. Treatment is delivered at no cost to local communities. The floating clinic helped more than 23,000 patients in 2008. The clinic also provided free immunizations to more than 1,000 women and children.
The Roll Back Malaria initiative was launched by Chevron in the states of Rivers and Kaduna in 2006. In 2007, two more states were added to the campaign, which focuses on pregnant women and children under the age of 5.
More than 6,700 Nigerian students are on CNL-sponsored secondary school, university and technical school scholarships. Recipients include students taking part in a special scholarship program for the blind.
CNL provides financial and volunteer support for groups that work to improve the community. Beneficiaries include the Compassion Home for Handicapped Children in Port Harcourt and the Nigerian Training Center for the Blind and St. Anne's Orphanage in Warri. Chevron also funds some of the activities of Nigerian Conservation Foundation, and we sustain the Lekki Conservation Centre.
CNL has also supported various sports activities over the years. Several athletes who took part in the NNPC/Chevron Tennis clinics and tournaments have gone on to represent Nigeria in junior-level competitions.
Updated March 2009