Total, partners, stake N900 million in infrastructure development in north
Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria, and its partners, including Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Petrobras, Sapetro and Cnooc, have invested N900 million to address infrastructure challenges in the northern region of the country.
Speaking at the inauguration of projects in Abuja, Tuesday, Deputy Managing Director, Deepwater District, Total E&P, Nigeria, Musa Ahmadu-Kida, said the projects were meant to mitigate the gaps in qualitative and technical education, maternal and child health, access to clean water, sanitation among those affected by the insurgency.
According to him, the locations of the projects were carefully chosen to impact the internally displaced persons, especially in the North East, adding that the initiatives were in line with the United Nations Sustainable Goals three, four, six, and seven.
Ahmadu-Kida said the projects were delivered with integrated solar power, which is environment-friendly and cheaper to run, and included 10 social infrastructure initiatives spread across eight states in the northern region.
He said the projects included ICT Centres with mini theatres at Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare, Bauchi State, and at Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State, mammography center at General Hospital Anka, Zamfors State, and maternal & child referral center in Boma, Borno State.
Others are School Science Laboratory at Government Secondary School, Butsinsafe, Katsina State, block of six classrooms at St Boniface Primary School Idah, Kogi state, water Project at Bennin Kebbi, Kebbi State, water project of Sokoto Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, Sokoto State, water project at Offa, Kwara State; and water project at Benisheik, Borno State.
According to him, the group will continue to intervene in the social environment of Nigeria through the deployment of various projects.
Musa disclosed that the company provides about 1600 scholarships to beneficiaries in tertiary institutions yearly, adding that other projects include construction, equipping of model schools, science laboratories, and ICT centers. Chairman of the occasion, Azu Azubike, noted that the 10 projects were part of the 33 projects embarked upon by Total and its partners across Nigeria.