Following the recommendations of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report of 2011 on the need to also boost economic revival in Ogoni land, 165 youths of the area have so far been assisted to kick-start a viable venture in entrepreneurship toward self-sufficiency.
A visit to Ogoni areas on October 26, 2016 by BusinessDay revealed that some of the entrepreneurs are making impact in their immediate localities through Livewire, a scheme put in place by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and its Joint Venture Partners. The oil giant had been running the scheme for years but in 2014 created a section for Ogoni youths alone which manifested in 2015 with 105 beneficiaries.
Early in October, the second batch graduated and set sail for self-development where 50 out of the 60 beneficiaries met the cut off point for assistance. The occasion also witnessed the award to the best six from the first batch.
BusinessDay was among some other journalists who went round Ogoni areas to meet with the entrepreneurs at their duty posts. Marcus Nwidoh, a native of Baen in Khana local council area was busy in his welding workshop putting finishing touches to a new iron double door. The father of three said he participated in the skills training at the WTTC in Bori and was supported with starter pack to begin his welding business.
Now, he says he owes everything he has got in life so far to SPDC’s LiveWIRE, Nwidoh revealed his earlier life of pain and misery. He does not know his father. His mother married away when he was just 13. He struggled through primary and secondary schools doing odd jobs until he went to the state’s polytechnic to learn welding and fabrication, but went back to odd jobs to survive.
Nwidoh is now the CEO of Cymac Steel and is a successful businessman by Kpaen standards. “I bought a fairly used car to move my equipment about. I also bought fairly used spray machine and an oxygen bottle to add to what Shell gave me. I have bought a fairly used Lister power plant because it is easier to maintain than the one Shell gave us as starter pack.”
The scheme has attracted thousands of Ogoni youths who want to pursue careers in entrepreneurship and self-employment. Nwifamaa Zornata from Kpaen is also doing well in his woodworks. He is now the proprietor of Josco Furniture & Roofing.
He said he is also from the first batch and was awarded as an outstanding performer. He told newsmen that his tag as a Shell-trained woodwork expert has shot him high with clients.
Gloria Bagbi, proprietress of Royal Beauty Spa, Bori, who hails from Nwiyakara community in Khana local government area, is now fending for herself despite the loss of her father. She also training herself in Office Technology and Management (part-time) at the nearby Kenule Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori. She said:
“There is a big difference in my life now. Before now, I depend on my parents for financial assistance but now, I do things for myself and even help my mother and my siblings.”
Same is the fate of Choice Belnaakole, owner of De Choice Hair Dressing Saloon, Alode-Eleme. The Bera-born hair stylist was also trained by Shell’s Livewire scheme.
“I like hair dressing as a business. I have a plan to expand this business through the efforts of Shell Live-Wire and my own effort too. I intend selling wholesale price for weave-ons, attachments and all these cosmetics. That is my plan.”
Celina Aken Chikere, proprietress of nearby De Right Choice Restaurant, Refinery Junction, Eleme, also narrated her tale of grass to grace. “They taught us how to prepare different dishes and I learnt a lot from there. With the money they gave me, I started doing this. Thereafter, I employed three people and started teaching them how to prepare all kinds of food, to bake meat pie, fish roll and all that.”
One of the six top performers, Victor Odo, now CEO of Ledumodovictor Enterprises, Sime-Tai, is now taking care of his section of the large family of 27 children. He was into electrical and installation when the wind of the LiveWIRe caught up with him. Now, he has ashop in the Sime-Tai market and was able to register my company with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
He says he has a plan to establish a training centre in Tai to train others in the best traditions available in electrical and installation. He too is no longer in support of any harm to oil facilities.
LiveWIRE is indicated as Shell’s flagship youth enterprise development programme which had its beginning in the UK in 1982 but was introduced in Nigeria in 2003. “Today, the scheme supports Nigeria’s National Youth Policy by encouraging and training young people to start their own businesses by providing start-up funds”, a Shell document explained.
The scheme has so far trained 6,350 youths and has assisted 3,213 in setting up their dream businesses through business start-up awards. These entrepreneurs have created employment opportunities for other youths in the region thereby reducing youth unemployment.
The scope extends to entrepreneurship training, business development services, start-up capital to establish and expand youth-owned businesses, mentorship programme for beneficiaries, and monitoring and evaluation. “It also provides opportunity for beneficiaries to access fund from financial institutions e.g. Aspired Fund (GroFin) a business development financier committed to supporting viable, growth-oriented small enterprises,” the statement on the schemenfurther explained.
In an interview with the External Relations Manager of SPDC, Igo Weli, the company explained the inner workings of LiveWIRE scheme.
- What actually informed LiveWIRE as a concept? The aim is to encourage young people to start their own businesses and to consider self-employment as a viable career option.
The Ogoni LiveWIRE is targeted at youths in the area. The 2011 UNEP Report recommends that Ogoni communities take actions that will stop further environmental pollution from artisanal refinery operations in the area. A large number of artisanal refinery operators try to blame their actions on the absence of jobs. The LiveWire programme, therefore, seeks to encourage and support youths from Ogoniland to start their businesses as legitimate means of livelihood.
- What budget drives the scheme per year and how much spent on it so far? The LIveWIRE programme is part of the entire social investment portfolio of SPDC, which as you can expect, requires a huge expenditure outlay. We do not categorise expenditure items individually.
- Do you think the Ogoni scheme is not a drop of sand in the ocean of want there? The LiveWIRE programme is part of SPDC’s contribution towards encouraging youths in the Niger Delta, including Ogoni land to take to self employment. It is true, however, that the development of the Niger Delta will be best served if all stakeholders – government, IOCs, communities – play their roles.
- Is Ogoni free to participate in the larger? LiveWIRE? Yes. Youths from Ogoni land do participate in the general LiveWIRE programme.
- Since Ogoni is no more fetching oil, is this to pay for the past or just for pipelines passing through there? SPDC has continued to implement social investment programmes in Ogoni land despite not producing oil there since 1993.
- Some happy participants say if you can take care of half of the youths there, peace will be automatic; is this realisable? SPDC will continue to play its part towards the development of human capital in Ogoni land but as you will agree, all stakeholders need to contribute their own quota for the overall development of the region.
- What personal passion do you feel when you meet abject poverty turned around in any Niger Delta community? I am not immune to the impact of poverty and have seen its marks round me. Remember, I am also from the Niger Delta. So naturally, I am happy when the story changes. But I will be happier when a critical mass in the Niger Delta is empowered so that many more families and individuals can extricate themselves from the vicious grip of poverty. This is because, in my view, in the final analysis the development index of the Niger Delta will be measured more by the number of families that can afford the basic necessities of life – shelter, education, health, food and general well-being, than the number of millionaires. This is what the LiveWIRE programme is all about.
- What is the future of LiveWIRE, innovations expected? The introduction of the Ogoni-specific LiveWIRE programme is an innovation that is already paying off – the testimonies of the beneficiaries clearly say so. SPDC routinely reviews its social investment programmes for better implementation and greater impact.
- Why does LiveWIRE not have inbuilt media partnership mechanism? We have always informed the media about our social investment programmes and encouraged them to tak active interest in their implementation.
