Shell Companies in Nigeria win award for education support

SCiN were nominated in four categories, and was the only oil and gas companies that won any award at the 7th SERAs.

Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN) emerged “Best Company in Education” at the annual Social Enterprise Report and Awards (SERAs) ceremony held in Lagos on September 21, the third time they are being recognised for a social investment programme on that platform. SCiN were nominated in four categories, and was the only oil and gas companies that won any award at the 7th SERAs.

SCiN were cited for “determined efforts” to promote education in the Niger Delta and Nigeria through secondary and tertiary scholarship awards, sponsorship of eight university professional chairs in diverse disciplines and innovative programmes for teaching and learning of core subjects in secondary schools. They were also mentioned for construction of information, technology and communication centres in primary schools and universities around the country.

“We are happy at the recognition for our programmes,” said General Manager Communications, Philip Mshelbila as he received the award. “This is a call to work harder not only on education but in the other areas of our social investment programme.”   

The 7th SERAs attracted 72 entries for 17 categories of awards. Recalled Kenneth Egbas, Managing Partner of TruContact Limited, organisers of the event: “It is good to see that, within the seven years of the SERAs, investments in CSR by 100 of Nigeria’s leading companies have grown from N500 - 600 million to about N25 billion annually.”

Guest speaker, Founder, Centre for Value in Leadership, Prof Pat Utomi said that every enterprise should review how it can adapt itself to culture in terms of corporate social responsibility.

SCiN won the SERAs for “Poverty Reduction” and “Child and Maternal Health” in 2010,  “Most Innovative CSR” in 2011 and in 2012, “Most Innovative CSR” and “Wealth and income Generation (Poverty Reduction)” awards.