Seplat Awards PEARLS Quiz Competition Winner N7m In 9th Edition

• 45,140 Students benefitted in Host Communities so far

Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, has awarded the star winner of its 9th edition annual PEARLs (Preparing Exceptional and Responsible Leaders) Quiz Competition with N7million as part of its initiative to enhance students academic performance.

BIGPENNGR.COM reports that Seplat began this local empowerment initiative involving all Secondary Schools in host states in an all round curriculum quiz competition in 2012 after it made major debut in the oil and gas industry.

This year edition held at Banquet Hall of Imaguero College, Benin, saw St. Michael College Benin, Edo State, carting away the star prize after a heated contest by student of participating schools drawn from Delta and Edo States.

While the winner school went home with the star prize, each of the three students who represented the school at the competition got N100,000.

Seplat, also splashed the first runners up, McNell Academy Secondary School, Sapele, Delta State, with N3m while its three representatives at the competition got N75,000 each.

The oil firm, also rewarded the second runners up, Gloryland Secondary School, Igarra, Edo State with N1m for its efforts while each of its three representatives were given N50,000.

Also, the third runners up, St. John’s Academy, Oleh, Delta State, was awarded N1m while its three representatives got N50,000 each.

The schools were also awarded trophies and educational materials as acknowledgement of their sterling achievements in the competition.

Speaking at the event which was graced by the Speaker of Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun as well as Deputy Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Christopher Ochor Ochor, the General Manager, External Affairs and Communications, Chioma Nwachukwu, said that the company know the value of education hence the yearly programme.

According to her, in the last eight years, 45,620 students have benefitted from the programme which was designed to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number four which is Education.

She said that Seplat had since 2012 (8 years ago) targeted rural and urban schools in its host communities as way of improving the educational standards of students in Edo and Delta state, disclosing that 574 schools participated in this year’s edition.

Nwachukwu told guests at the event which was spiced with cultural displays plus scintillating and choreographed dance steps by the students, that Seplat has more people-oriented programmes for its host communities as the company is constantly coming forth with new initiatives that can bring succour to the communities.

She said that apart from the quiz programme, the company has been very consistent in impacting positively on the living condition of the people of its host communities.

In his goodwill message, the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Marcus Onobun, applauded the efforts of Seplat in making the event a yearly programme and for impacting positively in so many other ways on the lives of the people in its area of operations.

“The role of youths in the development of our country is very key. What you’re doing is a step in the right direction. Going forward, he stated that “every company should see how they can give back to the society”, Onobun added.