By Nefishetu Yakubu
Seplat Petroleum Development Company, a Nigerian independent oil and gas company, says it has graduated additional 271 teachers in Science Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics from its Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) in Edo and Delta.
It said further that a graduation and award ceremony was organised by Seplat in Benin on Wednesday for the beneficiaries of the 2022/2023 session of the STEP initiative.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that about 634 teachers and Chief Inspectors of Education (CIEs) had benefited from STEP empowerment since inception of the programme in 2020.
The Director, External Affairs and Sustainability, Seplat Energy, Dr Chioma Nwachuku, said that the 271 beneficiaries comprised 260 teachers and 11 CIEs.
Nwachuku said that teachers in public and private secondary schools in the host states were opened to benefiting from the programme.
She noted that STEP had impacted on more than 25,000 students within the third year of the programme.
“Over the years, Seplat Energy invested significantly in other educational Corporate Social Responsibility such as the PEARLS quiz competition to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals 4, which promotes education for all,” she said.
The Managing Director, NNPC E&P Ltd., Mr Ali Zarah, said that teachers were critical stakeholders in the educational system and that education was the bedrock of every society.
Zarah, represented by Chinedu Emelife, a senior officer in the company said; “we at NNPCE&P and Seplat have chosen to appreciate the work and contributions of teachers in shaping the future of our nation by training them to teach students’’.
Also, in her Keynote address, the Edo Commissioner for Education, Dr Joan Oviawe, said that technology was critical to transforming the education workforce.
Oviawe pointed out that the 21st century interaction between teachers and students could be improved, leveraging the right technologies and methods.
However, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, commended Seplat for the initiative, adding that teachers and students needed to be equipped with relevant skills to become global champions.
Okowa was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Delta Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Augustine Oghoro.
Meanwhile, Seplat hosted a roundtable with the theme: “The role of technology in transforming the education workforce”.
The panelists at the session that included professionals, educational and technological experts discussed the role of technology in transforming education workforce.
The panelists agreed that leveraging technology to drive the educational workforce will impact positively on the nation’s economy.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of certificates and awards to 10 outstanding teachers. (NAN/vitalnewsngr.com)
