Chevron spends $1b on contracts, commits to Nigerian content

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting Nigerian Content Development by creating jobs and awarding contracts.

Mr Olusoga Oduselu, the General Manager, Corporate Affairs of CNL, disclosed this on Tuesday at a one-day Media Capacity Building programme organised for members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Warri Correspondents’ Chapel.

Oduselu stated that, in line with the local content gestures, Chevron offered an estimated contract of over One Billion USD annually to Nigerians.

Oduselu emphasised that CNL would continue to make human investments that delivered long-term, transformative returns through its Nigerian Content development activities.

“In Nigeria, Chevron supports Nigerian Content development by employing Nigerians and contract opportunities in all our projects up to an estimated annual average of over One Billion USD,” he said.

The theme for the programme was “Reporting Oil and Gas in the 21st Century: Issues and Challenges.”

Oduselu also said that Chevron was committed to lowering carbon emissions and reducing gas flaring in Nigeria.

He noted that routine flaring had decreased by over 97 per cent in the past 10 years in Chevron’s operations, through the company’s investments in gathering and processing associated gas.

Oduselu said that Chevron believed in affordable, reliable and ever-cleaner energy as essential to achieving a more prosperous and sustainable world.

“We focused on lowering the carbon intensity in our operations and growing lower-carbon businesses along with our traditional business line,” he said.

The general manager also said that Chevron contributes to the sustainable development of communities where it operates.

He said that the company’s formed a Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), a community-led participatory partnership model for community engagement and sustainable development in 2005.

According to him, the GMoU, in its 16 years of implementation, contributed billions of naira to the Regional Development Committees (RDCs) that represented the community clusters in its areas of operations to execute hundreds of projects.

“Currently, we have transitioned to the Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) under the Petroleum Industry Act (2021) as we continue to focus on ensuring the development of our communities.

“Also, through Chevron’s Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), we are impacting hundreds of lives in the Niger Delta and supporting economic empowerment in the region.

“Besides oil exploration and production, Chevron Nigeria Limited is one of the highest contributors of high-quality domestic gas in Nigeria among the IOCs,” Oduselu said.

While appreciating the roles of the media, Oduselu said that Chevron believed in the value derivable from developing human capital.

According to him, the media capacity building kick-started in 2023 in Abuja, Delta and Lagos states, adding that the 2025 edition had already been held in Lagos and Abuja.

He added that Chevron would continue to partner with the media for the development of society.

“Today, we are elated to add additional value through collaboration with the NUJ, Warri Correspondents’ Chapel.

“As members of the fourth estate of the realm, your role as agenda-setters and opinion moulders cannot be overemphasised.

“By the end of this year, we will have trained over 400 journalists through our media capacity building programmes,” he said.

One of the resource persons, Prof. Majority Oji, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Delta University (DELSU), Abraka, said that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) should be simplified for the understanding of the host communities.

Prof. Oji spoke on the topic, “PIA: Roles of the Media in Educating the Host Communities”.

The university don advocated for regular town hall meetings for continuous engagement with the host communities.

Earlier in his remarks, Mr Churchill Oyowe, Chairman, NUJ, Delta Council, thanked Chevron for deeming it fit to train journalists.

In the same vein, Mr Victor Okpomor, the Chairman, Warri Correspondents’ Chapel, appreciated the CNL for the noble gesture.