Beneficiaries of the National Cradle-to-Career programme, a joint initiative of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), have achieved remarkable academic success in the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Out of the 103 students who took the SSCE this year, the scholars achieved a 100% pass rate in Mathematics and a 98% pass rate in English language. Master Salmanu Isa Musa from Premiere Academy, Abuja, and Miss Orevaoghene Whiskey from TopFaith International Secondary School in Akwa Ibom State both attained nine distinctions. Master Golit Gordon Golu, also from Premiere Academy, and Miss Adedokun Nihinlolawa from Lead Forte Gate College, Lagos, both achieved eight distinctions.
In the UTME, Master Musa and Miss Whiskey scored 347 and 340 respectively, out of a maximum of 400 points. A total of 76 students scored between 200 and 300 in the examination.
Elohor Aiboni, Managing Director of SNEPCo, praised these achievements, stating, “Milestones such as these continue to justify the social investments of SNEPCo on behalf of the concessionaire, NNPC Limited, and co-venturers across the country.”
Bala Wunti, Chief Operating Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS), emphasized the importance of the National Cradle-to-Career initiative as an investment in Nigeria’s future. He commended the beneficiaries and their schools for their excellent results.
The National Cradle-to-Career programme, launched in 2014, provides full boarding and tuition scholarships to brilliant students, especially those from hard-to-reach communities, to study in nine top-rated private secondary schools across Nigeria. To date, approximately 700 scholarships have been awarded. Students with outstanding academic abilities are automatically transitioned to the NNPC/SNEPCo National University Scholarship, which offers a grant, HMO coverage, and other benefits to support university education.
In addition to these scholarship initiatives, SNEPCo has also made substantial contributions to education infrastructure. Last year, they constructed, furnished, and delivered a 100-seat ICT Centre at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State. Currently, they are working on a $10-million Geosciences Centre of Excellence for the University of Lagos and a $5-million e-library project for the Niger Delta University, Bayelsa State. These efforts underscore SNEPCo’s commitment to advancing education and empowering future generations.
