Private Sector Partners

Shell Petroleum Development Corporation (SPDC) is one of the most significant private oil companies in Nigeria and supported the LENF programmes in Bayelsa State and Cross River State.

In February 1998 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Shell, LENF and LEF (UK). A MOU does not constitute a contract of work but demonstrates a mutual agreement of objectives. In other words, the partnership between SPDC and LENF is based on a common understanding of participation and facilitation rather than on corporate sponsorship or a contract of work.

LENF identified a number of key issues that needed to be addresses by the oil companies working in the Niger Delta, these include;

• Developing greater transparency.

• More effective communication between communities, NGOs and the oil sector.

• Developing partnerships - between the oil sector, NGOs, community-based organisations (CBOs), state government sectors and others in the private sector to address sustainable community development.

• Putting environmental and sustainability policies into practice - by building local capacity in villages to support environmentally sustainable projects in the Niger Delta.

• Developing environmental awareness through training courses for staff.

• Developing a learning culture including training programmes for staff and systematic evaluation/monitoring of community assistance programmes.

LENF has aided SPDC in addressing these issues and the partnership has had a number of wide-ranging benefits:

• It has provided a framework for NGO - corporate cooperation in the region

• It has encouraged further international funding for community initiatives

• It has promoted new approaches to community development by SPDC staff

• It has raised the profile of community development in the Delta, internationally