Heirs Energies hands over more than 50 community projects across 80 host communities in Rivers
Heirs Energies has commissioned and handed over more than 50 community development projects and programmes across 80 host communities in Rivers State, according to a statement by the energy company.
The projects are being implemented through the OML 17 Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT), with support from the NNPC/Heirs Energies OML 17 Joint Venture. The Trust has more than 70 projects in its portfolio, the company said.
The interventions cover electricity, water supply, education, healthcare, roads, markets and vocational training.
The company also reported that its free medical outreach initiatives have reached more than 24,600 people. At its most recent major outreach, it said, 76,954 healthcare services were delivered to 12,671 beneficiaries.
The OML 17 HCDT was established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which provides a framework for host community development in Nigeria’s petroleum industry. Under the arrangement, communities participate in identifying development priorities and determining interventions through the Trust’s governance structure.
According to Heirs Energies, its project portfolio includes improvements to schools, healthcare facilities, markets and roads, alongside initiatives aimed at increasing access to clean water, electricity and vocational training.
The company said the projects were intended to address needs identified by host communities, although its statement did not include independent assessments of their impact or details of arrangements for maintaining the completed infrastructure.
Heirs Energies linked the investments to Africapitalism, the philosophy championed by its Group Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, which advocates private-sector investment that generates economic returns while contributing to social and economic development.
The company acknowledged the involvement of NNPC Limited, regulators, the HCDT Board of Trustees, community leaders and other stakeholders in the programme.
The reported handovers add to ongoing development efforts in communities hosting oil and gas operations in the Niger Delta, where access to infrastructure, essential services and sustainable livelihoods remains an important issue in relations between petroleum operators and local populations.
While the number of projects completed provides an indication of the scale of the intervention, further details on investment costs, project locations, beneficiaries and long-term performance would be needed to assess the programme’s overall impact on the 80 host communities.
