Stakeholders in the OML 13 Host Communities Development Trust have unveiled a comprehensive needs assessment report aimed at guiding development interventions across 11 oil-producing host local government areas in Akwa Ibom State.
A statement issued by the Media Manager of Sumedha Energy Limited, Mr Aniekeme Finbarr, in Uyo, on Wednesday said the report was presented on Monday in Uyo during a stakeholders’ meeting attended by representatives of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Exploration and Production Limited, Sumedha Energy Limited, community leaders and members of the Trust’s Board of Trustees.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of OML 13 HCDT, Ekpris Urujzian, in his remarks, described the report as a roadmap for sustainable development, saying it reflected the needs and aspirations of host communities and would guide future projects within the Trust.
“This report is a roadmap for sustainable development as it reflects the needs and aspirations of host communities and will guide future projects within the Trust,” Urujzia said
A member of the Trust, Festus Sunday, who presented the technical report, said the 624-page document was commissioned by NNPC Exploration and Production Limited and Sumedha Energy Limited, adding that the assessment identified critical areas requiring intervention, including healthcare, education, water and sanitation, infrastructure, human capital development, youth empowerment, livelihood support and environmental sustainability.
