Oando JV boosts agric in Niger Delta
Oando and its Joint Venture (JV) partners – the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), have given a boost to agriculture through training and giving assistance to farmers leading to greater awareness on what farmers should do to increase yield.
As a result of the increased awareness on the agric sector’s growth potential, oragnisations such as USAID and Oando and its JV partners, have invested in improving agricultural practices in the country.
According to the Mission Director of USAID Nigeria, Michael T. Harvey, “Public-Private Partnerships are a proven way of expanding investment in agriculture, improving both efficiency and productivity.”
In 2015, Oando joined its JV partners for the first time, to support the Green Rivers Project (GRP) / Farmers Day celebration. Since then, the company has been an active participant of the initiatives.
The GRP aims to increase agricultural productivity and prevent further deterioration of the soil through the use of better farming techniques; enhance farmer’s income, improve the quality of life of farmers through the adoption of improved and sustainable farming systems and therefore contributing to the improvement of the livelihood of the households in NAOC operational communities of Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Delta states.
In commemoration of the 2017 GRP, Oando JV held the annual Framers Day celebration in Igbogene, Bayelsa State.
Speaking at the event, the CEO, Oando Energy Resources, Olapade Durotoye, said: “We have taken it upon ourselves to re-orientate members of our host communities, particularly the unemployed youths to embrace agriculture as a viable future for the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
“The hard truth is that beyond the oil and gas sector, greater opportunities abound in other sectors of the economy and we must take advantage of this.”
Oando acknowledged the untiring efforts shown by farmers in providing sustenance for the country’s ever-growing population, providing raw materials to the nation’s industries, and contributing substantially to the nation’s foreign exchange earnings through its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
“Today, through our GRP programme the joint venture partners – NAPIMS/NAOC/OANDO have set the pace for our peers to follow. We have successfully sensitized our community based farmers on the importance of agriculture through the introduction of high yielding planting materials, fisheries activities, and formation of Cooperative Societies to access our Micro-Credit scheme,” Durotoye said.
