Chevron reaffirms commitment to training journalists

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Chevron Nigeria Limited has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the capacity of journalists in the Niger Delta region, saying media practitioners require the requisite skills to report accurately on the complexities of the energy industry.

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The company stated this on Monday in Asaba at a media capacity-building workshop organised in partnership with the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council.

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Representing Chevron’s General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Olusoga Oduselu, the Manager of Communications, Victor Anyaegbudike, emphasised the media’s critical role in promoting transparency and informed public discourse in the oil and gas sector.

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He said, “Chevron deeply appreciates the role of the media as a trusted source of information and an important partner in promoting transparency, accountability, and informed dialogue.”

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He said Chevron, beyond its business operations in Nigeria, was committed to creating lasting value in the country through Nigerian Content development, employment, local contracting and supplier development, noting that the company spends an annual average of over $1bn on Nigerian suppliers.

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Anyaegbudike also highlighted Chevron’s sustainable community development initiatives, including the Global Memorandum of Understanding pioneered in 2005 and the ongoing transition to Host Community Development Trusts under the Petroleum Industry Act.

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He said, “Chevron is working with government and community stakeholders to register HCDTs in its areas of operation, contributing significant funds to execute development projects.

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“The company sees Nigeria and Africa as core growth markets with its investments in gas, deepwater oil, and integrated infrastructure, including the West African Gas Pipeline which supplies gas to Benin, Togo, and Ghana.”

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Speaking on Chevron’s professional development programmes for media practitioners, he said its Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills programme, delivered in partnership with Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, had benefited over 120 journalists since its inception in 2014.

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He added, “In the last three years, the company has trained more than 425 journalists across Lagos, Asaba, Abuja, and Warri in collaboration with the NUJ.

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“We are delighted with the opportunity of this training for our media stakeholders to gain the required skills and knowledge to continue to discharge their journalism duties, especially in the oil and gas industry,” the Chevron representative stated.

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The Chairman of the NUJ Delta State Council, Churchill Oyowe, lauded Chevron for the partnership, describing the workshop as “a timely intervention to deepen journalists’ understanding of the oil and gas sector”.

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He said, “This workshop is a timely and strategic intervention to deepen our understanding of the oil and gas industry and strengthen our capacity as journalists.

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“It is important that those reporting on such a critical sector have the knowledge and professional competence to provide the public with accurate, balanced and responsible information”, Oyowe stated.

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