Our Host Communities
In line with Company policy to foster stakeholder engagement, NDEP and NDPR actively partners with host communities to promote sustainable development and to align the interests of host Communities with the company’s operations.
Currently, the Company’s host communities are limited to the Ogbele Oil and Gas Field Project, an asset wholly owned by NDEP’s operating Company, NDPR.
The Ogbele Field Project is hosted by five communities located in Ahoda East and Abua Local Government Areas, both in Rivers State, Nigeria, in the Niger Delta.
Our Host Communities:
- The Ogbele Community
- The Obumeze Community
- The Oshuigboko Community
- The Otari Community
- The Rumuekpe Community
Our Approach
Community Development
NDEP and NDPR are committed to development through community participation.
NDEP takes a long term approach to development and views the residents of Ogbele Field as true stakeholders of the Company’s operations.
Care is taken to liaise with communities with respect and honesty, to promote understanding and manage expectations.
To ensure that members of the local communities benefit from the Company’s operations, a Host Community Development Trust has been established, to encourage capacity building through the implementation of development projects, recommended by the Community through its Advisory Committee, a representative panel made up of a cross section of community members.
The Company is pleased that it has experienced minimal disruption to its operations, largely due to the efforts made to establish good understanding with community residents.
Host Community Development Trust
NDEP places great emphasis on collaborating with Host Communities and co-opting their participation in the development process. As such, a Host Communities Development Trust was established in 1997, allowing the Company to separate funds accruing to the Trust to be administered separately for the sole benefit of Host Communities.
The Trust has the following objectives:
- To undertake and finance Host Community projects to promote advancement and sustainable development
- To support the protection of the environment
- To facilitate employment opportunities and advance education and capacity within Host Communities
The Host Community Development Trust is administered by a Board of Trustees, who liaise closely with an appointed Advisory Committee, made up of representatives from each community.
To promote understanding with host communities, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) approach is used to govern relations between NDEP and the Host Community and manage mutual expectations.
Projects
The approach used by NDEP has allowed the successful completion of many projects that have significantly enhanced the quality of life for local inhabitants.
Transport links have been improved, clean and accessible water has been provided, local residents have been empowered and hundreds of students have received bursaries towards their education.
Recently, The Host Community Development Trust partnered with a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), Community Life Project (CLP), to implement an economic empowerment programme for women in the Host communities.
