shell world march 2014 -...

Shell Eco-marathon:HOW FAR CAN TEAM NIGERIA GO?

SNEPCo wins Lagos State Award

Oil and gas industry games celebrate team spirit

SPDC rated best place to work in Nigeria

Tough Talk with Alice Ajeh

NIGERIA

SHELL WORLD MARCH 2014

welcome

2 SHELL WORLD Nigeria

WELCOME TO SHELL WORLD NIGERIA MARCH 2014 EDITION

In this issue, it’s all about our stakeholders. That’s why our cover is on Shell Eco-marathon. Two Nigerian universities will be competing in the Eco-marathon taking place, in Rotterdam in May 2014. This competition challenges student teams from around the world to design, build and test energy-efficient vehicles. Will the two teams win the race against time? We also share news on how SNEPCo won a Lagos State award, in recognition of the company’s education initiatives. There’s a story on the recently concluded Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games which brought together several stakeholders in the industry. In Tough Talk, Alice Ajeh discusses how SPDC manages its stakeholders.

How much do you know about Dan Foster, the amiable on-air personality? Do you know how long he has been in Nigeria? Find out more in this issue. You will also learn more about Uche Okonkwo, the winner of the Etisalat Flash Fiction Prize.

I hope you enjoy this issue. I welcome your feedback, so please send your letters to the editor at: [email protected].

Anietie Isong

Editor, Shell World Nigeria

Anietie IsongEditor Shell World Nigeria

“Here in school right from our freshman days, we have always been working as a group. As the team manager, I have decided to keep the team spirit alive."

SHELL WORLD Nigeria 3

contentsNIGERIA


March 2014

05SPDC-CHINA SUPPLIERS SUMMIT TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN PORT HARCOURT

06KEEPING OUR FOLLOWERS ENGAGED ON SOCIAL MEDIA

07NEMBE CITY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION WINS GMOU AWARD

08SHELL ECO-MARATHON: HOW FAR CAN TEAM NIGERIA GO?

10MEET WILLIAM DIOUF

11DAN FOSTERTHE BIG GUY WITH A BIG HEART FOR NIGERIA

12TOUGH TALK WITH DR. ALICE AJEH

14

8

14ON WINNING THE ETISALAT FLASH FICTION PRIZE

15SNEPCO WINS LAGOS STATE CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD

16SHELL NIGERIA GAS DONATES SPORTS EQUIPMENT TO COMMUNITY SCHOOL IN OTA

17BONGA AND NLNG DELIVER MILESTONES

18NOGIG 2014: A CELEBRATION OF TEAM SPIRIT

20UNSUNG HEROINES

21GOOD HEALTH: SWIMMING

22RETIREE'S CORNER PROMISE EGELE


SHELL WORLDNIGERIA. ISSUE 20March 2014

Editorial boardChairman - Nedo Osayande,Franca Obinatu Tunde Adams Adaobi OniwindeAfolabi AkinrogundeAnietie Isong

Editor-in-ChiefAdaobi [email protected]

EditorAnietie [email protected]

ContributorsLori [email protected] Akpoigbe [email protected] Omoruyi [email protected] [email protected]

DistributionAnthony [email protected]

DesignShell Production Centre of ExcellenceThe Hague, The Netherlands886508

PrinterArtsaels LimitedLagos, Nigeria

Front Cover SEM racing track

Shell World Nigeria replaces allprevious hardcopy regional andline business publications. It isalso available to anyone outsideShell who is interested in theissues that affect us as a globalenergy company.Shell is represented by thefollowing companies in Nigeria:Shell Petroleum DevelopmentCompany of Nigeria (SPDC)Joint Venture; Shell NigeriaExploration and ProductionCompany (SNEPCo);Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG);Shell Nigeria Closed PensionFund Administrator (SNCPFA);Nigeria LNG Limited and ShellExploration and ProductionAfrica (SEPA).

Your Magazine

Please send your letters to The Editor, Shell World Nigeria, [email protected].

Make your contributions short to enable us publish them. The editor however reserves the right to edit your letters before publication. Thank you.

CONTACT

WHO CARES?

Join other Shell employees in Nigeria to make a difference...

The Shell Employees Care (SEC) vision is of a workplace where the potential and passion of people to transform lives, communities, and the brand through volunteering is fully realised.

SEC offers unique platform for volunteering among shell employees to promote quality of life and human capital development in communities across our fences. To join, please contact: Okey Ogwo Ext 39411 or Diamond Omene Ext 63245.

SPDC rated best company to work for in Nigeria Two independent firms have rated the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) as the best company to work for in Nigeria.

Jobberman, one of Nigeria’s leading job portals ranked SPDC as number 1 in its 2013 report on the “100 Best Companies to work for in Nigeria”. The report states that the ranking was based on a survey carried out to provide a comprehensive rating of employee satisfaction and commitment across employers in Nigeria.

Over 10,000 people took part in the Jobberman survey. The respondents comprised experienced, entry level and executive management. Eighty-nine percent of those who participated were gainfully employed and the rankings included 50 multinationals, 45 mostly Nigerian companies and 12 government agencies.

Global research firm Universum, in its Student Survey 2013 also ranked SPDC as number 1 ‘Ideal Employer’. Data collection was based on an exclusive survey, distributed via university contacts, student ambassadors as well as local partners in 14 educational institutions in Nigeria.

Universum annually conducts quantitative and qualitative research globally with over 400,000 talented individuals to gather insights into their career preferences, communication habits and their perception of potential employers.

Maintenance & Integrity, Victor Udora, during the Summit wrap-up re-stated the numerous potentials in Nigeria waiting to be unlocked by a combination of technology, expertise and funding. Other dignitaries at the event included the Director, Investment Facilitation & Incentives, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, Benjamin Ikheloah; Manager, Capacity Development, NCDMB, Godwin Ukobo, and Comptroller of Immigration, Rivers State Command, Mike Longe. Other members of SPDC Management team included: General Manager, CP-UIG, Guy Kent and Safety & Environment Manager, Technical, Amadi Amadi.

SPDC hosted the first China business summit in Abuja in 2011. Speaking at that event, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB) Engr. Ernest Nwapa lauded it as an example that should be emulated across the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010 rests on the expectation that the participation of Nigerians in their own oil and gas operations should be such as to translate the rich hydrocarbon resources of their fatherland into jobs and other tangible benefits. The Act sets out ambitious targets for the different categories of the industry and enjoins the companies to back the step change in practical terms. For the SPDC Joint Venture, encouraging Nigerian content in its operations goes beyond the fulfilment of a law. As far back as 2007, SPDC introduced a Community Content initiative to address the needs of communities and community vendors in the provision of goods and services in the oil and gas industry. The initiative has helped many community contractors in Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states and other parts of the Niger Delta to improve their processes, boost their knowledge and competence and attract more patronage and capital in areas that would not have been previously possible.


SPDC-China Suppliers Summit takes centre stage in Port Harcourt

At the event, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, represented by Okey Amadi, Honourable Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, promised to allocate land with all necessary approvals for any manufacturing concern to be located within the state. Managing Director, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria Mutiu Sunmonu, in his

welcome address read by the Finance Director, Jan van Bunnick reiterated SPDC’s commitment to” increasing the participation of Nigerian companies in the supply chain.” The Nigerian Ambassador to China, represented by the Counsellor, Commerce & Industry, Nicholas Ella stated that ‘’this is the biggest Chinese investment mission to Nigeria to-date’’ and wished everyone success in the deliberations. SPDC’s Manager, Corporate

Over 300 Nigerian vendors and 21 Chinese suppliers attended the SPDC-China Suppliers Summit which held in Port Harcourt. The one-day summit themed ‘’Stimulating the oil and gas value chain through partnership and collaboration” provided a platform for Nigerian businessmen to meet with a select group of Chinese manufacturers involved in the oil and gas industry.

Dignitaries at the event


Keeping our followers engaged on social media

HistoryAfter several internal engagements, Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCiN) delved into the social media space in April 2013 with the launch of the @Shell_ Nigeria Twitter handle and re-introduction of Facebook posts on www.facebook.com/Shell. In a couple of weeks, we will be celebrating one year in the social media space, with a combined followership of over 343,000 on Facebook and Twitter. Our social media posts on Facebook & Twitter cover key areas of the business including but not limited to: energy, social performance, Nigerian Content Development, recruitment, our economic contributions to the nation & Shell’s interests in Nigeria. We also feature

messages on SCiN and Shell Group sponsored programmes like the Shell Eco-marathon, Shell Ideas, NNPC/Shell Cup, Shell Scholars’ Forum, among others. From inception, till date we have tweeted over 400 messages generated from the briefing notes, the Shell website & information from teams on ongoing activities.

JourneySCiN’s social media engagements are fashioned in a way that tell our stories through simple and clear messaging that do not whip up sentiments. The strategy is to tell the Shell story and provide insight on who we are, what we do and how our presence

in Nigeria has been impacting lives positively for the past 50 years. Based on feedback through retweets, replies, shares & Facebook comments, Shell Nigeria has had a good outing on social media. Between January and February 2014, we recorded 82 percent (approximately) positive feedback from our social media stakeholders on Twitter & Facebook. However, we also do acknowledge that negative sentiments exist within that space.

Using 140 characters on Twitter, we have been able to share the messages on the briefing notes over and over again through creative, simple and engaging messaging. The reach is massive and we are using this medium to tell our story, advertise our events for free, create awareness on our social performance programmes and also build Shell’s credibility & reputation as a competitive and innovative energy company. The numbers continue to grow daily and we encourage more stakeholders to join the bandwagon by following Shell Nigeria on Twitter and Facebook.

The FutureWe are hoping to maximize the social media space as much as we can, grow our numbers, tell our stories better and increase activities on other social media platforms like Youtube, Instagram and Linkedin. The Internal Communications team is also preparing for the roll out of the Social Media 101 course for internal stakeholders to create awareness on the importance of social media to our business. Engagements are planned for the second quarter of this year and interested staff will be able to make requests for tutorial and sign-up assistance.Plans are also in place to inject softer conversations around harder issues on our social media platforms. 2014 is going to be an interesting social media year for Shell Nigeria. Please do not be left out of this space.

Social media has become a new force in global communications. With the introduction of Linkedin, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter & Google Plus the world became smaller, communication got easier & a new court of public opinion was introduced. Shell Nigeria joined this space in April 2013. Lori Ekpeh describes our journey.


Nembe City Development Foundation in Bayelsa State was adjudged the best performing Global Memoranda of Understanding (GMoU) Cluster in the maiden Community Transformation and Development Award organised by The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) in Port Harcourt. In addition to a gold plaque, certificate and cash prize of N20 million, the Cluster was offered three slots in the Cradle-to-Career scholarship scheme (worth N12 million per student for six years of secondary school education).

The Community Transformation and Development Award is the outcome of an assessment process of 19 out of 24 active and functional GMoU Clusters in Rivers and Bayelsa states. The assessment was based on criteria as enshrined in the SPDC Community Transformation and Development Index developed by the Sustainable

Development and Community Relations (SDCR) department.

The chairman of the award ceremony and retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte, said: “We commend SPDC and the GMoU clusters for the achievements, and hope the gains will be sustained”.

In his address, the SPDC MD/Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu said: “The awards show that the GMoU process has come of age. We will continue to support community-level institutions by building, human capital and enterprise development, in addition to the revenues, royalties and taxes we pay to the Nigerian government.”

The Nembe City Development Foundation has done so well that it received a total of $90,000 as counterpart funding from a

partnership between PACT Nigeria, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta under the Advocacy, Awareness and Civic Empowerment programme.

A GMoU agreement runs for five years, and is between SPDC and a cluster of communities. The governing structures are well defined, with a 10-person Community Trust, a Cluster Development Board (CDB) and a Steering Committee chaired by the State Government. The CDBs and designated committees are headed by community people. If the Boards do not approve a project, it would not be implemented.

Nembe City Development Foundation wins GMoU Award

Mrs Molly Isere, Vice Chairperson of Nembe City Development Foundation, receiving the 1st Prize from Retired Supreme Court judge, Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte


Shell Eco-marathon: How far can Team Nigeria Go?

Shell Eco-marathon (SEM) is a unique competition that challenges students across the world to design, build and drive the most energy-efficient vehicles and participate in a race to achieve the farthest distance on the least fuel. And for the first time, the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) Joint Venture is supporting a group of Nigerian students and academics (Team Nigeria), from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the University of Benin (UNIBEN) to participate in the competition in Rotterdam, Netherlands in May 2014. There’s excitement in the air. Although I had met some of the Nigerian students involved in the project, I had never visited them in their workshops. I was eager to

see their workspaces, and most importantly their preparedness for the event. At UNILAG, I met a bunch of excited students who were determined to make it to Rotterdam.

Eze Ugoalah, an engineering student who serves as the communications representative for the team welcomed me and my photographer warmly. Among other publicity roles, Eze is responsible for managing the team’s Facebook page. “I only just learnt how to edit videos,” he said as he showed me his repository of photos and videos. I was impressed. The students are building and designing “made-in-Nigeria” cars. They are ambitious.

Some of them went to the Shell Eco-marathon Europe as observers in 2013. This year’s SEM has the most African team participants ever. “We want to make a mark in Rotterdam,” team manager, Abraham Imohiosen said. He is a fourth-year student of electrical and electronics engineering who was introduced to the Shell Eco Marathon team by his good friend and classmate Obinna Agba. Abraham, who works on the propulsion, battery management, and electrical/electronics systems of the project, is a proficient programmer and is comfortable in up to eight different programming languages. I met some females in the team too. Like Paula Aliu, a fourth-year year student of Computer Engineering who distinguished

Segun examining the brake system of their prototype carSome members of UNILAG team

UNILAG building


Shell Eco-marathon: How far can Team Nigeria Go?

herself at a young age when she was admitted to the Government School for Gifted Children at Gwagwalada Abuja; a secondary school for intellectually gifted students in Nigeria. In UNILAG, she was selected to participate in the 2012 MIT-AITI programme, which was organized in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop software of relevance to solution of practical problems. “ I can’t wait to show the world what we have done,” she told me.

As I toured their workshop, I was reminded that the focus of this year’s Shell Eco-marathon was not strictly on winning the competition, but on the personal journey of the students and to show how they grew as engineers, as a team and a creative force through the experience. “It’s a great experience for the students,” Prof. Ike Mowete, the UNILAG team supervisor said.

The University of Benin students were also making good progress. As at the time of

writing this report, the students were working on fitting and laying the body of their cars. UNIBEN was designing and building the urban concept car for the upcoming event in Rotterdam. “We chose the urban concept car because it is a realistic type of design and it is one that can run on the Nigerian terrain, ” said Professor Akii Ibhadode, the team supervisor.

The project has had its fair share of challenges. In July 2013, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) went on an indefinite industrial action that paralysed public universities for almost six months. At some point, other industrial unions in the University of Benin also joined the industrial action which almost paralysed the university system. This became a major problem for the team. However, UNIBEN quickly re-strategised by moving to a private workshop where they did most of the fabrication work of the car.

Adeyemi Boluwaji , a fourth year production engineering student is the University of Benin team manager. He said: “I believe when we put all our strength to achieve a single purpose, success is inevitable; unity is the watchword. I have worked with people as a team and will continue to work with people as a team. Here in school right from our freshman days, we have always been working as a group. As the team manager, I have decided to keep the team spirit alive.”

It is such team spirit that is needed throughout the competition. How far can Team Nigeria go? Time will tell. One thing is certain: Shell Eco-marathon has sparked debate about the future of mobility and inspired these young engineers to push the boundaries of fuel efficiency.

Anietie Isong

The making of UNIBEN's car


Meet William Diouf

‘’I’m so proud to be in an organisation like Shell which gives me the opportunity to develop my competences through some relevant communication project exposure

and experiences, “William said. “Firstly, I would like to thank, the GM CX West Africa Cluster, Philip Mshelbila, the Social Investment Manager, Yomi Adeleye and the

CX Nigeria team for their warm welcome during my stay here.’’

William has been leading a national road safety awareness campaign in Gabon with the Ministry of Transportation since December 4, 2012. This campaign is in conjunction with the United Nations “decade of actions” for road safety that was launched in 2011. Its objective, William says, is to remind everyone using the roads of the risks of traffic accidents, a primary cause of death around the world. The “decade of actions” for road safety has provided Shell Gabon with the opportunity to share with the Ministry of Transportation the lessons learned by the Shell Group in matters of road accident prevention and thereby contribute to public safety measures that will have a positive impact on the local population.

“This national campaign involved strategic placement of billboards along major roads, highlighting such major hazards as drinking while driving, speeding and failure to wear a seatbelt, the danger of talking on the mobile phone while driving, driving when fatigued and danger to pedestrians from speeding vehicles particularly around schools, as well as similar advertisements placed in Gabon popular newspaper and on Gabon Television. Giant television screens placed throughout Libreville were continually running adverts on road safety.”Shell Gabon also engaged the Gabon downstream union managing the network of all service stations of Gabon in order to spread the campaign to motorists. They did this by distributing road safety flyers in service stations nationwide.

‘’I’m happy with the success of this campaign in Gabon. This year the awareness will spread to schools and hospitals in the country, in partnership with the Gabon Ministries of Health and National Education’’ said William.

William has been in Shell for just two years and has achieved some remarkable communication projects for Shell Gabon. His last project delivery was the first ever Shell Gabon external website in collaboration with Olaide Owolabi the Internet Adviser Africa. William was recently in Nigeria to work with the Communications Team.

William Diouf


Dan Foster rarely receives the credit he deserves for being one of Nigeria’s best on-air personalities. An American, he first came to Lagos in 2000. His family and friends didn’t understand why he would want to go to Africa, let alone Nigeria. “I needed to broaden my horizon,” Dan said. “I needed to do something different.”He began his broadcasting career in the US, in the 1990s. He worked with some well known names in the industry. Like Cathy Hughes founder of Radio One. “I worked closely with Cathy. I started as a producer for her talk show in Washington DC. I took calls for her. These days, presenters and producers take calls in the blind. Back then, you wouldn’t take such a risk."

Cathy Hughes is CEO of the largest radio broadcasting operation that primarily targets African-American and urban listeners. Her organisation currently owns and operates 55 broadcast stations located in 16 urban markets in the United States. “I enjoyed working with her,”

Dan said. “But after a while, I needed to move on.”

He moved to the Virgin Islands to take up a job at another radio station. “I was there until the hurricane came and blew the building away. Then, I became a football coach and a teacher at a missionary school on the island. I was approached by the Principal of the school to do the job. I had no degree in teaching, but they told me that if I had a degree, they could teach me how to teach. And they did. I ended up teaching athletics and health education. I loved it.”

From the Virgin Islands, he went back to the US to take up a job in Florida. His major break came when he joined Mix 106.5. He was the only black in the all white radio station. So how did he get to Nigeria? Cool FM discovered him on the internet. “There’s a website where presenters post their best three minutes programme. It’s like an audition tape. I posted mine and it got lots of hits. And then offers. I had lots of them. When I got

one from VI, I thought it was Virgin Island.” Dan later realised that VI was actually Victoria Island, in Lagos, Nigeria, and he panicked. He had seen several travel warnings on Nigeria. But he had already accepted the offer, so he decided to take a chance. “When I landed in Lagos, and we went through Oshodi, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I saw a dead body on the highway, and people were just walking past. It was scary.”

Luckily, the radio station was not anywhere near Oshodi. “When I got to Cool FM in VI, I realised that they had more equipment than we had in the radio stations in the States. I was impressed.”

In Nigeria, he had the creative freedom to do what he always wanted to do. “The US was very restrictive. I got really creative here.” He later moved to Inspiration FM where he began anchoring the morning show. Dan Foster was one of the twenty five on-air personalities in Lagos who gathered to learn more about SNEPCo operations in the first engagement targeted at this critical segment of media stakeholders in November 2013. Other guests at the event included Big Brother presenter, Ikponmwosa Osakioduwa (IK) as well as well known personalities such as Charles Bruce (Chaz B) and Olisa Adibua. “The engagement was an eye-opener,” Dan said. “I didn’t know much about how the oil and gas companies operate in Nigeria. After that event, I began to see the need to use radio to tell stories about oil and gas operations. Nigerians deserve to know the truth.”

After more than a decade in the country, would he consider himself a Nigerian? “I would like to see myself as an African-American who discovered his roots. An African American that came back to Africa. I have found my roots here. I love the US, I miss it, but this is where I choose to practice my trade now. My wife is from Nigeria. I am here for good. This is it.”

Dan Foster, the big guy with a big heart for Nigeria

Dan Foster


Dr. Alice Ajeh started her career as a teacher at a young age. She taught at the University of Ilorin as part of her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme between 1982 and 1983. From there, she moved on to teach at the University of Port Harcourt Demonstration Secondary School and eventually got a job as a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt. From academics, she joined the media – Sunray, the first colour newspaper in Nigeria. She later moved to the public relations department of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (now Niger Delta Development Commision-NDDC). Her time at the Commission aroused a deep interest in her concerning Niger Delta issues. This led her to pursue a post graduate diploma in Petroleum and Environmental Law in order to fully understand the legal and other issues

related to operating in the Niger Delta. In 1998, Dr. Ajeh moved to the External Affairs Department of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and for ten years, she worked in several roles, one of which was as Government Relations Manager for the Eastern operations. For ten years, she worked in the department, but in July 2008, she got an overseas assignment as the International Relations Manager-Nigeria at Shell headquarters in The Hague where she spent four years before returning to Nigeria in July, 2012.

How would you describe those four years in The Hague? My years in The Hague were very challenging as well as exciting. The job gave me an opportunity to tell an authentic Nigerian story not just as a Nigerian but as

one from the Niger Delta. My work involved regular dealings and interactions with stakeholders ranging from local to international NGOs, academia, government officials and even communities. Because our focus was on Nigeria, being a Nigerian gave my story credibility. This helped clear some of the doubts and fears about Shell in Nigeria. People understood better the complexities and challenges of working in Nigeria and therefore ceased to blame everything on Shell as used to be the case. Some of them even visited Nigeria for a firsthand experience.

The job also took me around the world to places I never imagined I would visit. I went as far as Alaska and French Guyana. Shell‘s new business opportunities in those places had opposition from international NGOs because of Shell Nigeria operations. As the International Relations Manager I went there to speak about our operations in Nigeria. They were very wary of Shell based on some of the things they had heard so it was a challenge convincing them, but I explained our challenges without covering up some of our failures. Some of them changed their minds about us but some of the NGOs already had a fixed mindset and were unwilling to change. I also did some academic work with some university students in The Netherlands and the UK. They were very curious about Nigeria and we exchanged several ideas with them, including appearing in 2011 on the Institute of Ideas’ public debate forum called ’Battle of Ideas’, discussing Africa and of course Shell in Nigeria.

How would you see the roles of NGOs in the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria? Most of the international NGOs have affiliates here so they work in tandem with them. I would say that NGOs have their place in the industry. Most of them act as a check in the Industry; looking at operations,

Tough Talk with Dr. Alice AjehNGO & STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS MANAGER

Alice Ajeh


their own opinions of the challenges but also the opportunities we have operating in the Delta and Nigeria.

In order to get the internal stakeholders to understand our business better, from late 2012, we started the lunch and learn sessions now called ‘Know Your Business’. We get experts from the business to talk to a cross section of staff for an hour once a month in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where staff can learn and ask questions to understand that area of the business better. From the feedback we get, this has really helped staff to have a better grasp of the business. Those who attend these sessions faithfully are more knowledgeable and confident when speaking about the business. The focus groups continue to grow.

What would you describe as your greatest achievement since you joined Shell?My greatest achievement here would be relationships I have built over the years internally and externally; some of those are practically family. Shell is one of the best places where you can gain exposure to a wide range of knowledge and where you have the opportunity of increasing your knowledge of a subject matter area and of the business through formal training locally and overseas and more importantly good coaching and mentoring by more experienced people in the company, if you are driven enough to find them. I have benefitted in that area too. Shell is a great place to work as it gives you room to grow and have time for family. Work-life balance is stressed and staff should take advantage of it. I feel blessed by the opportunities I have had working for Shell in Nigeria and overseas and to raise my lovely twin daughters. Being a mother to them has been the greatest gift.

offering criticism and advice where necessary. We take and act on the ones that we can. We actually keep them close to our operations so they can see things for themselves; the good, the bad and even the ugly. They come in every quarter for their observations. We also bring in a credible third party to look at our processes. Even though this has its risks, the advantages far outweigh them. In 2011, we introduced a spills website to show people real time what is happening in the spills front. We’re the only IOC in Nigeria that does this to the best of my knowledge. This is transparency. Transparency demands more than statements. It requires workable and enduring structures to support the intent. SCiN have been operating in Nigeria for over fifty years. We remain committed to the country and its people. We will continue to work with government and other stakeholders to ensure transparency in our operations.

There is a coalition of about 20 different NGOs working in the Niger Delta under the auspices of National Coalition on Gas Flaring and Oil Spills in the Niger Delta(NACGOND)who we work with . There are those who are in the extreme left and those in the extreme right but most of them are in the middle. In recent times, the NGOs in Nigeria who are connected to the very negative and left NGOs are now listening to us, ready to find ways of dialogue with us. This is very exciting for me because it took us a long time and lots of patience to get here. Relations with NGOs are not static but dynamic so it is something that we keep working on. We also work with faith-based organisations. We call them influencers. Because Nigeria is highly religious, those groups are very important. We work with them almost as closely as the NGOs. We get them to understand what we do because we believe that they need to understand our operations to be able to talk about them from a position of knowledge to their membership. We also take their advice and critique of aspects of our operations

seriously and use them in our continuous improvement journey. Could you tell us about the Reputation Integration Campaign you are leading?The reputation integration work was one of the challenges I was given to manage on my return from my overseas assignment. We found that some of the issues we were facing were not because we didn’t have the right technology but mostly because of the negative perceptions about SPDC especially by external stakeholders we deal with and even those who are potential stakeholders. Interestingly, even internally, negative perceptions of the company’s policies and even operations existed. So we tried to manage our internal reputation first by starting a campaign focusing on our character and the value we add as staff and contractors to the bottom line and in the relationships with our external stakeholders. The driving force of the campaign is to improve our reputation with everyone we interact with and crucially to improve our business performance and even remain in business! Frontline staff like drivers, airport protocol officers, receptionists, secretaries, security staff, access control staff, among others were the first to be engaged in what we call reputation awareness sessions. Staff in various functions are also being engaged. This is a continuous campaign, already producing ambassadors for the company who volunteer to carry on the campaign in their areas of the business.

The Country Chairman set up a cross-functional and cross-business corporate visits team, for example, to ensure consistency in management of our esteemed corporate visitors to the company so that they are managed in a Shell way, with respect and courtesy consistent with our core values in order to enhance our brand and hopefully build a positive image. The visits are very helpful, as stakeholders get to see our operations for themselves and form

Tough Talk with Dr. Alice Ajeh


On Winning the Etisalat Flash Fiction PrizeUche Okonkwo

I hesitated when I read that Etisalat planned to plug into social media by asking readers to vote online for their favourite stories. The top 20 flash fiction stories were to be determined in this manner. I’m not the most active social media user, and so I was a bit concerned about this. I imagined that the prize would devolve into some kind of popularity contest – and many would argue that it did – where only the loudest, most popular 20 would be able to emerge.

The voting element of the selection process was a polarising factor, with many strongly for or against it. But I decided the prize was worth giving a shot. There are not too many prizes that go out of their way to promote unpublished writers, and so I thought it would be a great opportunity.

I had an overwhelming amount of support from my immediate family and friends during the voting period. I had decided before sending in my submission that I wasn’t going to become one of those contestants who would harass people into voting for them. And so I shared the information about my story a couple of times on Facebook and Twitter, and I asked friends and family to please vote and share. They really carried it on from there, sharing with their contacts and ultimately, I believe, helping me get in the top 20.

When I was eventually announced winner of the Etisalat Flash Fiction Prize on February 23, 2014, it felt like a lot if things had come together. It’s my first major writing prize and there was a sense of validation that came

along with the gratitude at having won. I am grateful to Etisalat not just for this prize, but also for all the other ways it supports the arts – the Lagos Photo contest and Africa’s Next Top Model come to mind. Writing is a solitary endeavour, and it’s not the easiest job to make a living from. Prizes like this provide encouragement and a tangible reward for writers’ efforts, and I am grateful to have won this year.

My plan going forward is to keep writing; stopping has never been an option. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be up for the book category of the Etisalat Prize for Fiction.

A friend told me about the Etisalat Flash Fiction Prize sometime in August 2013. ‘You should submit something,’ he said. And that was how it started.

Uche (middle) receiving the prize with her mother


The Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) said: “I salute your contributions to the promotion of education in Lagos State. They demonstrate clearly your commitment to develop the mind and character of the next generation of people who will play the promise of this nation.” He said the philosophy behind ‘Support our School Initiative’ was government’s realisation that private sector support in funding the education sector is crucial.

SNEPCo Business Relations Manager Kanu Ijere, who represented the Managing Director, Chike Onyejekwe, said: “We are happy about the recognition and appreciation of SNEPCo’s contribution to the educational sector by the Government of Lagos State.”

In her remarks, the guest speaker, Group Managing Director of the Rose of Sharon Group/ Executive Vice Chairman Famfa Oil Limited, Folorunso Alakija said: "There is a gap in the educational sector in

Nigeria, and unless there is a major overhaul, the future of the sector is bleak." She advised all corporate organisations to help ensure that the Nigerian child is provided with quality education.

SNEPCo wins Lagos State Corporate Social Responsibility award

SNEPCo emerged one of the winners of the Lagos State Government Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award during the ‘Support Our School Initiative’ ceremony held in Lagos. The award is in recognition of SNEPCo’s support for education in the country which has seen it build two ICT Centres in Lagos alone.

SNEPCo’s Business Relations Manager, Kanu Ijere and Hon. Commissioner for Education Lagos State, Olayinka Oladunjoye


Shell Nigeria Gas Donates Sports Equipment to Community School in Ota

SNG Managing Director, Toyin Adenuga represented by Mutiu Lawal, Operations & Maintenance Supervisor said: “We always look for opportunities to identify with our neighbours and the inter-house sport is one way of showing that we care.”

Ebenezer African Church Primary School was founded in 1948, and is located

behind SNG’s Pressure Reduction and Metering Station at Ota. SNG has been supporting the school for the past 10 years.The Head Teacher of the school, Prince Isiyemi Akinyemi said: “We’re grateful to SNG for making this event the highlight of our calendar, and this was why we dedicated our Yellow House to the company in 2005. SNG has been a great source of

support. We look forward to many more years of friendship.”

The Executive Director, African Foundation for Environment and Development Hon. Sola Afariogun commended SNG for supporting the school.

Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG) has donated sports items to Ebenezer African Church Primary Schools, Ota, Ogun State as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility. The donation took place during the school’s 2014 inter-house sports competition.

Some staff and students of the school pose with visitors


The Bonga field – operated by the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) – in January 2014 surpassed 500 million barrels of cumulative oil export. It represents an important milestone for Shell and its partners in Nigeria, and follows a string of recent successes for Shell in the country.

Also in January, mega LNG plant Nigeria LNG (NLNG) exported its 3000th LNG shipment from its Bonny terminal in Rivers State. Shell has been expanding Bonny through its proprietary technology since it first shipped LNG in 1999.

“We are extremely proud of both milestones,” says VP Nigeria & Gabon, Markus Droll. “They demonstrate our long-term commitment in Nigeria, and both Bonga and NLNG are excellent examples where Shell’s world-class technology has helped to develop resources for the benefit of the Nigerian economy, Shell

and our co-venturers.” Nigeria is one of three countries – alongside Iraq and Kazakhstan – that make up Shell’s strategic superbuckets, all of which come under the Future Opportunities aspect of Shell’s strategy.

Sharing the visionBonga was the first deepwater field in water depths exceeding 1000 metres to commence production in Nigeria and over the years NLNG has grown into one of the world’s largest LNG plants.

NLNG Managing Director, Babs Omotowa, says: “I am naturally delighted by NLNG’s attainment of this important production milestone, especially because it demonstrates what is possible as a result of a shared vision within our company, the hard work and dedication of staff, and cooperation from government and our shareholders.”

Nigeria’s Bonga Field and NLNG Plant – two of Shell’s flagship facilities - have delivered a remarkable set of export milestones, sealing a great start to 2014.

The NLNG accounts for about 7% of the world’s total LNG production capacity, with the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) being a major supplier of gas to the plant. Shell holds a 25.6% interest in NLNG together with NNPC (49%), Total LNG Limited (15%) and ENI Int’l N.A. (10.4%)

SNEPCo, 100% owned by Shell was formed in 1993 to develop Nigeria’s deepwater oil and gas resources offshore. The company signed a Production Sharing Contract that same year with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) to operate two deepwater licenses, in partnership with ExxonMobil, Total and Agip. This story first appeared in Shell Online.

Bonga and NLNG deliver milestones

Bonga


NOGIG 2014: A celebration of team spirit

Prince receiving his medal from Ubaka Emelumadu Yomi Adeleye strikes the ball


NOGIG 2014: A celebration of team spirit

In his goodwill message at the closing event, Mutiu Sunmonu, MD SPDC and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria (represented by Ubaka Emelumadu, GM Gas) said: “The essence of these games is to create a forum for unity amongst industry professionals. The event also creates an opportunity for us to enhance our physical well-being and mental alertness in adherence to the industry’s health, safety and environment requirements.”

Team Shell put up a great performance at the grand finale which took place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on March 1, 2014. The women’s relay clinched gold following a brilliant finish by Ehimhen Agunloye. Prince Wopara also won gold in the men’s 100m. Shell won silver in the men’s relay and bronze in football.

Louis Ogbeifun, Chairman National Organising Committee (NOC) of NOGIG commended the management of the participating companies and organisations for their financial and moral support. “Making these employees available is a huge sacrifice by the participating

companies, which must be commended. These companies released their sports men and women irrespective of the strains it might have on their operations. “

Alex Onumbu, Shell’s lead representative in the NOC said it was a very competitive event, but he was pleased that Team Shell was able to win several medals through team work.

In a note to all staff, Tony Attah, VP HR said: “Everyone can get excited about sports given the encouragement and opportunity to participate. Sports offer something quite distinctive: A chance to compete with a team spirit, to push oneself and to deliver success with and through others—qualities Shell people demonstrate every day!” NOGIG began in 1986 with one event and a few participants. In 2014, 12 oil and gas organisations took part in eleven events, made up of indoor and outdoor games. Team Shell competed in all the events.

Team Shell representing Shell Companies in Nigeria won overall second position at the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Games (NOGIG) 2014, with 11 gold, seven silver and 10 bronze medals. Team NNPC clinched the overall first position with 14 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals while Chevron came third with eight gold, five silver and six bronze medals.

Shell’s football team


Shell Women Network celebrates the Nigerian woman

Unsung Heroines

L-R: Patrinia Onuoha, Sumbo Dosunmu, Mama Makoko, Bayo Omoboriowo, Loretta Ekpagha, Tunde Adams, William Diouf, Uche Nwajei, Emmanuella Akpoigbe and Uche Illodianya

Shell Women Network identified with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the US Consulate to launch the ‘100 Unsung Heroines’ project in Lagos.The project was initiated by Bayo Omoboriowo, 2012 Creative Artist of the Year Future Award winner. The objective is to showcase the resilience of the Nigerian woman and to celebrate their daily activities in the development of the nation.


Swimming

GOOD HEALTH

Swimming is the method by which people move themselves through water. It is an aerobic exercise (any activity involving large muscles, done for an extended period of time). Swimming may be done as an occupation, for recreation, competition, warfare technique or research. During swimming, you repeatedly move large muscles in your arms, legs and hips. This causes your heart, blood vessels and lungs to supply fuel during sustained physical activity. The body takes in and uses oxygen to sustain movement more efficiently. Heat is generated during exercise; however, overheating of the body is avoided because the body is immersed in water as a coolant. The body releases chemicals such as endorphins (your body's natural painkillers) and others that make the body‘s performance optimum.

BENEFITS OF SWIMMINGThe benefits of swimming are numerous. Swimming develops muscle strength and endurance, and improves posture and flexibility while maintaining your weight. It is a great sport for people of all ages and all proficiency levels including the pregnant. Swimming provides most of the aerobic benefits that running does, and does not put the strain on connective tissues that running, aerobics and some weight-training regimens do; thus making it the ideal sport for people suffering from Arthritis. The buoyancy factor makes swimming the freest sport there is. Swimming has been shown to prevent, ameliorate, and reduce the incidence of certain disease conditions or their

complications. Some of these conditions include Hypertension, Stroke, and Diabetes that develops during adulthood. Coronary artery disease (a disease that heralds heart attack) is also significantly reduced by swimming.

If you've had a heart attack, swimming can help reduce the occurrence of a second attack. Swimming increases the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) and decreases the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) in your blood. It helps improve lung function and capacity for Asthmatics. Some cancers, including breast, colon, prostate and endometrial cancer are less common amongst people who swim. Swimming activates your immune system and prepares it to fight off infection. It improves the response to HIV. People who exercise regularly are less susceptible to minor viral illnesses, such as colds and flu. Swimming relieves chronic muscle pains; back stroke swimming is very good for most low back pain occurring in the middle age. Swimming has been shown to reduce the amount of stress hormones the body releases in response to mental stress. It can boost your mood, ease the gloominess of depression and the tension associated with anxiety, make you feel better and enjoy life more.

Written by Dr. Omuriyi Asemota

Promise Egele


Exploration Manager, Late Ed Iyamu, making the year a really memorable one.Working in Shell at that time was a thing of pride, the competition was very stiff and I was thrilled to have been selected. I spent 28 years in Shell and though some of those years were very tough (and rough out there in the mangrove swamps), I saw them as a learning process, there were also some pleasant times. We were very well trained as competency development has always been taken very seriously.

Working abroad I arrived the Netherlands on cross-posting in 1989 on an international assignment within the Exploration department of NAM, in Assen. My first assignment as a senior seismologist / geologist in the Northern Offshore Team, in an unfamiliar basin, was to propose one or more wells in a block due for either a 50% renewal or 100% relinquishment within one year. This challenged me to the innermost parts of me but at the end we were able to drill a wonderful well that helped us carve out 50% of the acreage to be retained. That well announced my arrival at the NAM even though, somehow my boss considered it serendipitous. That success opened the way to other joint team effort in some other basins. By the time I left The Netherlands, I made three other well proposals, of which two were successful.

My strength in Shell was technical and that was because of a lot of the training we got added to a lot of discipline and focus. By the middle of my career in Shell, it was difficult to pin my background down as I was moved from Exploration to Integrated Studies, and then to Petroleum Engineering. Some of my most challenging times were when I was fully in charge of Petroleum Engineering and the Subsurface integrated teams at Rijswijk and Aberdeen. The Aberdeen team was set up to shave off the work being done by the teams in Port Harcourt and Rijswijk and as a reaction to

Retiree’s Corner - Promise EgelePROMISE EGELE RETIRED FROM SHELL IN 2007. HE IS NOW THE SUBSURFACE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OF FRONTIER OIL LTD WHICH OPERATES A JOINT VENTURE WITH GULF OF GUINEA ENERGY LTD (GOGE NIGERIA).

Exploration department as a Trainee Seismologist. That was in 1979. It was an exciting period having to work with very experienced and well known explorationists whose papers and works we read in the university. It was also during this period that a couple of these leaders made me believe I could do great work. Shortly after that, my first attempt at discovering oil and gas found the Awoba field in September 1981. One month later (October 1981), I got married and was treated to a sumptuous dinner by then

Humble beginnings I come from a very humble background in Abia State where there are lots of hills and other interesting natural sites. I have always been interested in nature; this led me to study Geology and Geophysics at the University of Ibadan. I graduated in 1978 and in the same year, a group of Shell staff led by Edmund Daukoru, the Mingi of Nembe Kingdom came to interview us at the University. On completion of my one year National Youth Service, Shell offered me a job in the

-


the difficulties of some Nigerians to obtain work visas to The Netherlands. My great happiness is that at the end, the T4T5 projects for which we set these teams up have started to yield the expected results. I remain grateful to Shell for all the training through these challenges.

Managing othersAs Corporate Petroleum Manager, and Skills Manger for Petroleum Engineering, managing about 300+ petroleum engineers (PE), I had to attempt to know every PE, young and old, experienced and new entrant, by name and background. We had Production Geologists / Seismologists, Petrophysicists, Reservoir Engineers and Production Technologists. It was challenging but I learnt a lot. The technical and relationship aspects of managing Shell Nigeria’s Corporate PE, in addition to being a member of Shell’s Global twelve member Hydrocarbon Maturation Leadership Team, have been of immense assistance in my current job.

Leaving Shell on early retirement was not easy to think about but the training we received and the goodwill that was established in the industry made the landing soft. I received several offers within one week of leaving Shell, so much so that I had only a couple of days to rest. I accepted to work with a senior and trusted friend in GOGE Nigeria and was off to meetings outside Nigeria within one week of departure. The environment we work in is very similar to Shell’s and all compliance issues are adhered to fully. We are actually a satellite Shell team here (with people like Josh Udofia, Alhaji Bukar, Dada Thomas and Wole Adefila in the JV team), so it still feels like home. Integrity is a major issue in our industry so it was important to work with a trusted and tested team. We are a small happy team with a small gas field and we have demonstrated to onlookers that we can deliver.

Teaching and research During my time in Shell, I was a serious

member of Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationist (NAPE), Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS). I was the President of NAPE and had several interactions with both students and lecturers, and young professionals. We made a lot of effort at NAPE to improve the quality of education in the geosciences to levels we knew when we were in the universities. It was not easy but thanks to the continued focus from NAPE, this effort is slowly beginning to yield fruits.

NAPE runs a mini conference for university students in geosciences every two years, where the students were encouraged to make presentations so that other students will learn from them. It is a project that is very dear to us. We act as advisors to the students and whenever we could, we actually teach or explain geoscience issues. When I fully retire, I will likely devote my time to teaching.

Local Content Nigerians are the ones benefitting from the local content so they are the ones that should champion it. I hope it does not lose its focus like the indigenisation policy did. Local content should be all encompassing not just about the products or the labour, but one that would help Nigeria build capability and capacity. It should not focus on monetary profits or contracts but on human capital development, and indigenous asset ownership. We should learn from the examples of Brazil and Norway, even Malaysia. The intention should not be drive foreigners out but to work and learn with them otherwise we run the risk of crashing our system before it takes off. It needs to be properly planned and made transparent so that every participant will buy into its implementation. It is a good cause and I support it fully but it must be well thought out and implemented in a structured manner so that at the end we would have successfully built both capacity and capability as these are

the most important things. Local content will also need a lot more financing and guidance. FamilyI’ve been married for 33 years and we are still very happy with each other. We are blessed with four children: Two boys and two girls. My first daughter is an electrical engineer, my first son is a mechanical engineer and both work with multinational firms. My second son, started off in engineering, but switched to economics before obtaining an MBA. My last daughter studied marketing before veering off to obtain certificates in fashion design and merchandising. God has been extremely kind to us and will continue to take all the glory in our lives.

Leisure I spend time on the tennis courts to keep fit, even at the age of sixty two. Occasionally I also do a bit of reading, especially if it is an exciting or soul searching book. For example, two month ago, I joined the tennis section of Ikoyi Club to visit Kigali, Rwanda, for a friendly international match. During the trip I bought a book on the lessons learnt from the war in Rwanda. I think we all need to read this book to learn from others’ past and to seek ways of preventing such tragic occurrences in Nigeria and Africa. One thing sports does is force discipline and rules on you. You can succeed (even in a jungle) if you obey rules. One thing leaving Shell has taught me is humility. You realise how quickly things change when you move from a big company to a small one. In the big company, you could designate so many things but in the small ones, you have to do many things yourself. I still work as hard or even harder but I keep a low profile and concentrate on staying strong and healthy. If I were to start all over again, I will still choose to start with Shell.

Promise and wife also spend most of their Sundays on church activities and whenever time permits helping with volunteer work.

Retiree’s Corner - Promise Egele

shell world march 2014 -...

Documents