Ikeja Electric (IE), has bagged three certifications in the electricity sector — latest International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certifications ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 — in recognition of its effective implementation of occupational safety and health, environment management and quality management processes.

The  power company also emerged as one of the runners-up for the ‘Most Responsive Organization to COVID-19 Crisis at the Nigeria Risk Awards 2020, and also bagged the AfriSAFE Merit Award 2020.

According to a statement by the Head, Corporate Communications, Felix Ofulue,the Disco’s management was last week, presented with the ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System), and ISO 45001:2018 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System) 2020.

The statement quoted the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ikeja Electric, Folake Soetan, as saying that the company has again reaffirmed its commitment to high standards, in line with global best practices, adding that the  awards demonstrate that the IE management processes and operations are effectively conducted by quality policies and forward-thinking leadership.

Soetan said: “We are indeed honoured by these certifications. I am dedicating these achievements to the entire management and staff who continuously give their best through strategic initiatives and innovation that deliver growth, improved service delivery and customer satisfaction for the brand.

“The fact that we have gained these recognition does not mean we have attained the desired peak or that we would become complacent, but rather we will continue to work hard towards operational excellence and improvement of service in line with our manta – ‘Customer first; technology Now’.”

The statement also quoted the Head of Quality, Safety, Health and Environment (QHSE), Mr. Jamiu Badmos, as saying that IE remains the industry trailblazer in areas of innovations including occupational health, safety and environment initiatives, adding that the result of the audit as approved by the Technical Committee from DQS in Germany has again certified Ikeja Electric to be compliant with global best practice.

According to Badmos, the statement said the adoption of technology and purposeful engagement of staff, customers and stakeholders has greatly contributed towards achieving effective quality, health, safety and environmental performance and operational excellence.

“We will continue to use risk-based thinking throughout our operations to promote a proactive approach for identifying risks and opportunities, thereby making continual improvement in order to enhance governance, customer experience, operational excellence and sustainability,” he said.

One hundred  secondary school teachers and 43 Chief Inspectors of Education (CIE) from Edo and Delta states have received   Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP) Certificates,following the conclusion of three-month training on the programme.

The STEP initiative is an educational programme created by the leading indigenous energy company, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc and its partners, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), to improve the country’s standard of education, particularly for host states.

Over the years, SEPLAT made significant impacts with critical initiatives focused on providing quality education for states of our operations and the country. To consolidate its achievements on Sustainability Development Goal 4 for inclusive and equitable quality education, the Company introduced STEP (Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme), a customized training programme for secondary school teachers.

In November 2020, the 143 certificate awardees from Delta and Edo states commenced their training with an initial five-day residential retreat. After that, they continued training  through  the E-Learning platform developed for the programme.

To commemorate the certificate presentation ceremony held on March 19, 2021, Seplat hosted an Education Round Table further to explore the right policy formulation for quality education. The theme for the round table was Provision of Quality Education: A National Priority.

The  company’s certificate awards ceremony took place last week, in Benin City, Edo State, alongside the Seplat Education Roundtable, which had educational experts and professionals in a highly engaging panel session moderated by Professor Pat Utomi. The keynote speaker for the day was the former Edo State Commissioner of Education, Prof. Ngozi Osarenren.

The panelists comprised the Director, External Affairs and Communications, Seplat, Dr Chioma Nwachuku; Professor of Guidance and Counselling at Ambrose Alli University, Oyaziwo Aluede; Director, Centre for Gender Security Studies and Youth Advancement, University of Abuja, Prof. Ocholi Ekundayo Fehintola; Professor of Educational Management, University of Ibadan, Benedict Oyovwevotu Emunemu and the Principal Managing Partner, Teach Smart Eduservices, Sola Okunkpolor.

The programme provided training on teaching applications for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) and leadership and self-improvement. The testimonies of recipients of the maiden STEP highlighted the numerous benefits they gained from the programme, including enhancing their creative thinking and providing higher student engagement.

Roger Brown, the Chief Executive Officer, Seplat, represented by Dr. Chioma Nwachuku, Director of External Affairs and Communications, Seplat said: “Over the years, Seplat has invested significantly in various educational Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes, to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Number 4, which speaks to education for all.

He further affirmed that “at Seplat, we strongly believe that education is the bedrock for national development and our STEP deployment aims to enhance teachers’ competencies and empower them with the knowledge and skills to implement STEAM education, amongst other benefits. Seplat is committed to providing this programme annually because of its relevance and positive multiplier effects on boosting quality education.”

Dr. Chioma Nwachuku, in her remarks, said: “Seplat is playing an invaluable role in enhancing the quality of education with the many educational programmes offered through the Company’s CSR initiatives. With the STEP programme, the Company now has a full boutique of programmes impacting the entire education value chain. Seplat educational programmes now cover improving school infrastructure, enhancing students’ academic performance, and building the skills and competencies of teachers, amongst others.

“Teachers are the critical success factor for the implementation of STEAM model; thus Seplat has embarked on empowering teachers with the STEAM knowledge and skillsets to enable them to deliver”, she added.

Prof. Osarenren, in her keynote, said what Seplat has done cannot be quantified as it will continue to drive critical thinking and generate problem-solving skills. She, therefore, urged the recipients of the programme to utilize the acquired knowledge to bear positive impacts on their students whilst remaining change agents, mentors and character builders, adding that: “Nobody can make you inferior without their consent.”

Prof. Utomi, while commenting on the state of education in the country, said society must appreciate and show esteem for teachers, adding that the impacts teachers make in the lives of students and community remain immeasurable.

According to Utomi, teachers need to continue to exhibit a strong passion for their profession with the undying commitment to sustaining the future generation. Misery amongst the people could only be effectively addressed by quality education.

Prof. Aluede said education is critical to combating poverty, and qualified teachers are the genuine agents needed to actualize this in Nigeria. He, therefore, stressed the need for the right curriculum, the requisite skill sets and effective partnership among stakeholders, as is being exhibited by Seplat.

Also speaking, Prof. Emunemu urged everyone who needed to become a teacher to acquire the minimum qualifications, pointing out that failure to do so would only result in wrong output from the sector.

Sola Okunkpolor, in her submission, advocated for a robust database in the educational sector to allow for good planning, monitoring and decision making. “Continuous data mining process is needed to enable us to know how many children are in school, how many are graduating, how many are progressive, how many are being engaged upon leaving school, and so on,” Okunkpolor added.

 Oriental Energy Resources Limited,  has announced the donation of a state-of-the-art Science Laboratory Complex to Community Grammar School, Ebughu in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

The commissioning and handover ceremony was a demonstration of Oriental Energy’s commitment to education and human capital development in Akwa Ibom State,the company’s Managing Director , Mr. Ignatius Ifelayo,was quoted as saying,adding that  said the complex is evidence of the company’s long-term dedication to human capital development in the state.

According to him: “It is now very clear that most jobs of the future will require a basic understanding of mathematics and science. At the same time, recent developments around the world point to the fact that scientific and technological innovations are becoming increasingly important in the 21st century. Therefore, in preparing our children for the future, we need to provide them with a conducive learning environment, where they can lay a good foundation, especially through the study of biology, chemistry, and physics. This is the main reason why we embarked on the science laboratory project at Community Grammar School, Ebughu, Mbo LGA, Akwa Ibom State

“It is our hope that the judicious use of the laboratory complex for teaching and learning will lead to better academic outcomes for students registered for examinations in the core science subjects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics.”

The complex donated by Oriental Energy consists of Biology, Chemistry and Physics laboratories including teachers’ offices, toilet facilities and fittings, gas cylinders, and fire extinguishers; laboratory furniture including stools for students, teachers’ desks and chairs, white boards, shelves and storage facilities for reagents and chemicals. Other items donated include WAEC-standard equipment together with different types of reagents/chemicals for Biology, Chemistry and Physics practicals. Electricity supply within the laboratory building complex has been made possible by a Solar power system and inverter, which also pumps water from the borehole to the overhead tanks and solar water heating system.

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet commended Oriental Energy Resources for embarking on the science laboratory project: “Oriental Energy Resources partnering with the State Government to promote education should be a challenge to other multinational companies, NGOs and individuals to join hands and build up the sector’’.

Ecobank Nigeria has announced the launch  of  the Super Rewards Scheme for its customers nationwide.

The bank explained that the new scheme gives 200 of its customers an opportunity to earn different cash gifts monthly, with four of them becoming millionaires at the end of the four months campaign.

 Korede Demola-Adeniyi, Head, Consumer Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, who announced the commencement of the campaign in Lagos , said the scheme is designed by Ecobank to reward customers’ loyalty, explaining that 50 customers with the highest deposit will be rewarded with cash prizes worth N25,000 weekly. The campaign runs between March and July 2021.

 According to him,participation is open to both new and existing individual customers of the Bank, adding that, this is the perfect time to open an Ecobank account or reactivate and fund  a dormant account to qualify for the reward and enjoy a first-rate banking experience.

He added:“Fifty (50) customers with the highest deposit will be rewarded with N25,000 every week.  And four customers with the highest deposit and transaction value within the campaign duration will be rewarded with N1 million naira each.”

 Daberechi Effiong, Head, Consumer Products, Ecobank Nigeria, spoke on the dynamics of the scheme, saying the conditions to qualify for the scheme are simple  and easy to ensure both new and existing customers participate and get rewarded.

She said new customers are expected to open an account with a minimum of N5,000 and maintain the deposit for a 30-day period; same she noted applies to existing customers, who only need to fund their active account with a minimum of N5,000 or reactivate their dormant account with a minimum of N5,000 and maintain the deposit for a 30 day period.

 She also explained that customers can withdraw funds from their account during the campaign period but will  only be qualified for the reward when they maintain at least a balance of N5,000 in their account.

Access Bank Plc has  launched Swift Pay, a digital payment service that facilitates the receipt of business payments by enabling customers make quick, easy and secure digital payments on social media platforms to merchants.

 Group, Head, Emerging Businesses, Access Bank plc, Ayodele Olojede, noted that the lockdown, experienced in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulted in less in-person interactions and  less in-person payment options.

She disclosed that statistics from a survey carried out post-lockdown showed that MSMEs were affected by cash flow, revenue and sales while adding that the impact of the pandemic made more apparent the lack of infrastructure and access to digital resources for small businesses.

She added:“This is why Access Bank introduced SwiftPay to support the digital transition and growth of SME businesses. This product is part of the bank’s commitment to support SMEs to meet their business objectives despite the times. The new service comes in form of a payment link that can be hosted on merchants’ social media pages and sent to anyone to pay and conclude business transactions. It is easy and takes less than 5 minutes for interested merchants to sign up as it is convenient and time saving for everyone.

She also disclosed that the bank is committed to providing very practical solutions that support the growth of small business in Nigeria.

“SWIFTPAY is free and the processing charge is discounted up to 15 per cent to ensure merchants keep most of their earnings.  In recent times, e-commerce has been challenged with the rise in fraud on social media, we have ensured that every merchant registered on SWIFTPAY carries a ‘verified by access ‘ stamp to authenticate the page giving customers confidence when they transact.

 “We have been focused on providing solutions targeted at boosting the economy because we believe it is our responsibility to contribute to the stimulation of economic growth. With the launch of “SwiftPay by Access”, we are renewing our commitment to providing the much-needed technological support to our SMEs.” Olojede concluded.