Eni’s subsidiary, Nigerian Agip Exploration Limited, in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and NAE PSC, has taken steps to enhance local capacity in the oil and gas sector.
This is as the company awarded scholarships to 30 Nigerian graduates for postgraduate studies in Nigerian and overseas universities.
In a statement, Eni said the postgraduate scholarship scheme was instituted by NAE PSC partners as part of the company’s human capital development initiatives to promote knowledge acquisition and bridge the skills gap in specialised fields relevant to deep offshore oil and gas operations in Nigeria.
The company disclosed that winners were selected among over 600 shortlisted applicants, based on their excellent academic standing and their performances at the computer-based test recently conducted.
“Under the scheme, 10 beneficiaries will undertake postgraduate studies in various universities in the United Kingdom and Canada. The remaining awardees will pursue their postgraduate studies in Nigerian universities in disciplines such as engineering, geosciences, petroleum and environmental technology, renewable energy, and petroleum law,” the statement read partly.
At a ceremony held to award the beneficiaries in Abuja, the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of NAE, Mr. Fabrizio Bolondi, congratulated the awardees, stating that the scholarship award has presented them with the opportunity to pursue their dreams and achieve their career objectives.
“The award ceremony highlights our continuous commitment to the future of education, innovation, and progress in Nigeria, and it is a moment of pride for the company to recognise the incredible talent and dedication of the scholars,” he stated, urging the beneficiaries to remain focused on their studies to capture the full benefits of the initiative.
To date, 320 graduates were said to have benefitted from the scheme instituted by the company to contribute to the training of local professionals, providing the knowledge and skills required within the industry.
“Eni, through NAE, has implemented other sustainability initiatives in Nigeria in health, education, access to water and infrastructure provisions, as well as specific initiatives for stakeholder empowerment in local communities.
These include the provision of 22 integrated water schemes for domestic consumption and irrigation purposes in North-East Nigeria and the Abuja Federal Capital Territory, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, to improve access to water for the communities affected by the humanitarian crisis in North-East Nigeria. Others are the provision of Magnetic Resonance Imaging equipment to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt; cardiothoracic equipment, including the Heart-Lung Machine LivaNova (Sorin/Stockert) S5 complete system at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano; as well as a Research and Innovation Laboratory at the University of Lagos, Nigeria.
“Nigerian Agip Exploration was incorporated in 1996 to manage the company’s deep offshore exploration and production assets. NAE has the distinction of being the first oil and gas company in Nigeria to produce oil from the country’s deep offshore. NAE has interests in six deep offshore blocks in Nigeria, either as an operator or as a co-venturer,” the statement concluded.
