Mainstream Foundation, a humanitarian arm of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, has presented starter packs (equipment and start-up materials ) to 70 trainees sent to various training institutions across the country for skills acquisition.
They were trained in different professions which include welding, plumbing & pipe fittings, tailoring, catering & event decorations, poultry and fishery.
All 70 graduands were given starter packs related to their training. The event took place at the Emir of Borgu’s Palace at New Bussa and had in attendance His Excellency Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar the former Nigerian Head of State, The First Lady of Niger State, the Chairman of Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, members of the Board and Senior Management in attendance.
Also present at the occasion were the Etsu Nupe, Emir of Borgu and a host of other traditional rulers and government officials.
MESL registered Mainstream Foundation on the 28th of December 2016,as its humanitarian arm.
The Foundation is being funded through 1% gross monthly revenues from Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited, which no other successive companies of the defunct Power Holding Companies of Nigeria (PHCN) have been able to match since the change of ownership of the facilities.
The Foundation aims at coordinating the humanitarian intervention of the company through its Corporate Social Responsibility while the company focus on its core business of generating electricity.
According to MESL, the Foundation’s vision is to improve the quality of life of communities around the Kainji and Jebba Lakes and Niger Basin, with a focus on health, education, community empowerment and the environment.
A senior official of the power company told PremiumNews that Foundation’s mission is to promote healthy and educated communities, with thriving local economies and sustainable ecological landscapes that serve as a model for West Africa, with development indicators at par with world averages.
The core values of the Foundation revolves round community engagement, community ownership, impact and high-quality standards.
The Foundation is manned by a 7-member Board of Trustees with unimpeachable integrity and commitment to community service in Nigeria.
The trustees include: Alhaji Umaru Farouq Bako (Chairman) ,Siraj Abdullahi (Executive Secretary), Mosun Olusoga Bello, Alhaji Nuhu Abdullahi Sa’adu, Col. Aiyegbeni Peters (Rtd), Habiba Ali and Alhaji Dunmoye Suleiman. These drivers have successfully driven the Foundation to laudable height and continually create avenue for more Nigerians to get touched by the company’s heart of gold.
Armed with four cardinal objectives of education, health, environment and community empowermenthe Foundation has since 2016 proven that it has the capacity and capability to add the desired value.
The Foundation executed 61 projects in 2017 across its host communities and spent N128,957,453.50 on the rehabilitation of dilapidated schools in Shagunu, Kuruwasa, Amfani, Mazhi etc.
It expended the sum of N45,887,937.50 on the rehabilitation and equipping of health facilities and the treatment of persons within the catchment area. The sum of N23,906,435.50 on improving critical aspects of the environment, while N821,839.00 was spent on other projects. The Foundation spent a total of N288,414,368.20 in 2017 for the benefit of Borgu, Kontagora, Yauri and Bida/Jebba communities.
Besides, the Foundation sponsored 10 selected youths annually from the host communities to study at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN) as part of the empowerment objectives. He said:” This training is a Graduate Skill Development Programme for new Engineering Graduates starting their career in the power sector. A good number of the trainees are offered employment in Mainstream Energy Solutions Limited after the training Programme”
In April 2017, the Foundation conducted a three-day medical outreach program in collaboration with the first lady of Niger State and Founder of Raise Foundation, Dr. Amina Abubakar Bello in three communities (Amfani, Gbajibo and Rofia) in Niger State. More than one thousand indigenes of the state where screened and administered medication whilst seventy-four surgeries were carried out. Considering the Medical Outreach was a success, others were carried out in subsequent years.
The Foundation adopted Mazhi primary school for a period of 7 years with the approval of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Minna, with the objective of providing educational and ancillary facilities and infrastructure needed for learning to improve and institutionalize quality teaching standards and to increase the value of education within the community.
In 2018, the Foundation executed ninety-six (96) projects in its host communities with fifty-two (52) projects being education interventions, thirty-three (33) health projects and eleven (11) community empowerment projects. The Foundation spent the sum of N268,067,000.00 for the rehabilitation and construction of schools, N132,365,000.00 was spent towards the construction, rehabilitation and equipping of health facilities and treatment of persons and N169,707,000.00 was expended on empowering the communities and trainings. A senior official of the company said, the Foundation spent a total sum of N570,139,000.00 for the benefit of Borgu, Kontagora, Yauri and Bida /Jebba communities in 2018.
The Foundation says it has executed one hundred and twenty-two (122) projects in 2019 across its host communities with forty (40) projects being education interventions, sixty-three (63) in health projects and nineteen (19) community empowerment projects. It spent a total sum of N866,703,911.00 .
Last year, the Foundation executed one hundred and thirty-nine (139) projects in 2020 across its host communities with fifty-six projects being education Interventions, fifty -nine (59) health projects, eighteen (18) being community development projects and six (6) being environment projects. Besides, the Foundation spent a total sum of N832,408,624 for the communities. It also organized a medical outreach in 2 communities (Gulbin Boka and Rafin Gora in Kontagora) where over 1000 villagers were screened, and medical assistance provided to them. It said Seventy-four (74) surgery cases were organized at Kontagora General Hospital.
The Foundation saw the need for a river blindness eradication campaign in some communities around the lake where the disease is prevalent and has organized eye clinic for its host communities. It also conducted cataract free surgeries
The Foundation also made an impressive show in some areas that required special attention in the country and communities therein.
One of such areas was the fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic which reared its ugly head last year March.
The Mainstream Foundation supported the combat against the COVID-19 pandemic with medical equipment and N500million to Kwara Kano, Kogi, Kaduna, Kebbi, Niger State, including the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada and the National Hospital, Abuja.
