Success Nwogu 
Some oil companies have adopted Corporate Social Investment as a strategy to improve oil production by enhancing harmony with host communities as well as ensuring the safety of assets with recent emphasis on intervention in vision repairs, SUCCESS NWOGU wriites
To address Nigeria’s poor crude oil production, especially in host communities, some oil companies have been implementing measures, including Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) to ramp it up.
These efforts have started to yield positive results as the nation’s oil production has gradually increased.
The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in its Monthly Oil Market Report (MOMR) for May 2025 had stated that Nigeria’s crude oil production in April rose by 85,000 barrels per day to reach 1.486 million barrels per day, (mbpd) using direct communication.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NUPRC) had posited that Nigeria’s oil production increased to 1.485,700 mbpd in April, marking a 6.06 per cent rise compared to March’s yield of 1.400,783 mbpd.
According to the NUPRC data, the average crude oil production for April represents 99 per cent of the 1.5 million bpd quota set for Nigeria by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Nigeria had been unable to meet up its crude oil quota by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). A careful analysis of the OPEC’s MOMR data for last month showed that Nigeria, regained the OPEC member with the highest improved crude production in April.
Nigeria held the most increased crude oil production country of OPEC for consecutive two months of December 2023 and January 2024 but lost it to Libya in February.
But its crude oil production performance became dismal in March as using direct communication, Nigeria’s oil production was 1.327mbpd in December; 1.427mbpd in January; 1.322mbpd in February and crashed to 1.231mbpd in March, an outrageous decline of 92,000 b/d.
The efforts of the oil companies were in compliance to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which prescribed a number measures, including benefits for host communities that will reduce restiveness, increase safety of oil installations and personnel.
Some of the companies that have been implementing strategies to enhance production by ensuring more benefits to host communities include the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Seplat Energy Plc and Shell Some of the programmes include health and education.
Seplat
Recently Seplat Energy embarked on CSI which was to address the scale of vision impairment in Edo State.
The programme seemed apt as the World Health Organization (WHO), had said that globally, approximately 2.2 billion people suffer from near or distance vision impairment, but at least 1 billion of these cases are preventable.
Available data from the National Eye Health Programme (Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare) estimates that as of 2024, 4.25 million Nigerians aged 40 and above were living with moderate to severe visual impairment or blindness, with 84 per cent of cases considered preventable or treatable.
It is most likely that these figures would have increased more recently which indicate that the scale of vision impairment in Nigeria is staggering.
According to a statement, in Edo State, a large percentage of the affected individuals lack access to basic eye care services, exacerbating the problem of preventable blindness.
It noted that this is where initiatives like “Eye Can See” play an essential role in the community. By providing free screenings, consultations, and surgeries, Seplat Energy is addressing this health crisis head-on, offering essential services that people in remote areas would not have otherwise been able to access.
According to the statement, the success of the programme in 2025 was remarkable, with 1,292 people screened and 53 cataract surgeries successfully carried out during the three-day event, It added that these numbers are not just statistics, they represent lives transformed and individuals who are now able to live without the debilitating effects of untreated eye conditions.
“The Seplat Energy JV’s “Eye Can See” initiative goes beyond mere medical intervention. It is a comprehensive healthcare model that includes health education on conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, which are often linked to vision problems.
Many of the beneficiaries of the programme were unaware of how conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes could affect their eyes, and the educational component of the programme has empowered them with knowledge to take proactive steps toward better health.
Government health leaders have also acknowledged this impact.” Offering insight during the 2025 edition of the programme, the Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Cyril Adams Oshiomhole, emphasised the power of preventive care.
He said: “More than half of the ailments that lead to blindness are treatable, and the ‘Eye Can See’ programme is showing our people that with early intervention, many of these conditions can be prevented.”
The statement noted that Oshiomhole’s remarks reinforced the growing recognition that awareness and early action are just as critical as access to care.
It added that improved vision had far-reaching effects, enhancing overall quality of life and enabling individuals to participate more fully in social and economic activities including those of workers in the oil and gas sector.
The Director of External Affairs & Social Performance at Seplat Energy, Chioma Afe, highlighted this during the 2025 edition of the programme.
She said: “We aim to not only restore sight but to provide people with the tools and knowledge to take care of their health long after the event. Health education is integral to the sustainability of the initiative, and it’s something that benefits the community in the long run.”
The statement explained that Seplat Energy’s CSI efforts extend beyond this one-off event.
It said that the company’s long-term plans included the establishment of a permanent eye hospital in Benin City, which will serve as a hub for continued eye health services for the people of Edo State. According to it, this new facility would not
Nigeria lost N4.4 billion due to 400 pipeline damages in the oil region
only provide care for the residents of Benin but would also help meet the needs of surrounding communities who may not have easy access to medical centres.
It stated that already, the company had completed, equipped and handed over a fully equipped, state-of-the-art Eye Centre at the Sapele Central Hospital to the Delta State Government, on 7 October 2024.
It added that the facility is designed to serve as a hub for the treatment of all eye-related issues within the region and beyond including those affecting people in the sector.
It said: “By setting up a permanent eye care facility, Seplat Energy will be able to offer consistent, high-quality eye care services to the community, ensuring that no one is left behind due to a lack of medical resources.
This proactive approach is essential for ensuring that the benefits of “Eye Can See” extend far beyond a single generation, cementing Seplat’s role in the sustainable development of the region.
“Seplat Energy’s “Eye Can See” programme exemplifies the power of CSI to create meaningful, sustainable change. By addressing immediate health concerns, providing education, and promoting long-term healthcare solutions, Seplat has transformed the lives of thousands of people in Edo State.
“The programme’s success attests to the positive role that businesses can play in fostering social and healthcare development.
Through its continued support, Seplat Energy is setting the gold standard for corporate social responsibility—not just in Nigeria, but across the oil and gas sector globally.” An example of one of Shell, NNPC eyecare outreaches was in 2024 where 6,575 benefit from the exercise.
NNPC/Shell
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) also had the third edition of their Vision First Programme, in August 2024 as part of comprehensive community-focused healthcare outreach targeted at the Ilaje community and its environs in Bariga, Lagos State.
NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer (CCCO) Olufemi Soneye, said the Vision First programme was a continuation of the NNPC Ltd/SNEPCo Production Sharing Contract commitment to advancing health and well-being within its host communities.
He stated that over 1,000 individuals receive free eye care services, alongside a range of general healthcare provisions through the initiative.
According to him, the services, include cardiovascular screening, BMI assessments, laboratory services, consultations, treatment of mild and chronic diseases, and distribution of insecticide-treated nets.
Soneye said: “Since its inception, the Vision First programme has made a significant impact, with over 1,853 individuals benefiting from free eye care services.
The Lagos edition, which began in 2022, has screened 2,000 people, provided 1,199 prescription glasses, administered medication to 1,310 beneficiaries, and facilitated successful medical procedures for 189 individuals.”
According to Shell Nigeria, no fewer than 6,575 people benefited from the eyecare outreach held in Bariga LGA. Shell Nigeria Media Relations Manager, Gladys Afam-Anadu, in a statement said beneficiaries from within and outside the LCDA received a wide range of medical services, including eye screening, surgeries, medication, and eyeglasses on the latest campaign to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of communities across Nigeria.
Analyst
An energy sector analyst, Charles Ogunbodede, stated that the interventions were necessary to address restiveness, make host communities to own oil companies’ investments and boost Nigeria’s crude oil output.
He recalled that the Federal Government had in the past urged oil companies operating to get closer to the communities and address issues in a manner that would not cause destruction to production and economic activities.
He stated that reports had been rife that Nigeria lost N4.4 billion due to 400 pipeline damages in the oil region between January and August, 2000.
He recalled that there were reports that in 1997, a gang of armed youths attacked and closed down six flow stations in Delta state, taking 127 personnel hostage and shutting in 10,000 bpd of oil. It added that it took 6 days of negotiations to get the hostages released.
He added that later, 15 contract staff on board a supply convoy were kidnapped and detained for more than 3 weeks.
According to him, there are reports that between 1990 and 1999, at least 24 of such groups were formed that intensified struggles, often with violent outcomes, against the companies and federal (state) agents and agencies such as the police and the armed forces.
Ogunbodede said the interventions of the oil companies were also in compliance to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which targets to boost oil production in Nigeria by creating a more attractive and efficient framework for the oil and gas sector.
He noted that this was achieved through changes in fiscal terms, institutional structures, and regulatory policies. According to him, some of the provisions in the PIA are capable of enhancing peace and security in the oil-bearing areas of the country.
He opined that the three per cent of the operational budgets of oil companies amounting to a minimum of $500 million annually that will go to host communities to finance their development projects was a recipe for happiness and progress in the hitherto restive Niger Delta.
He stated that additional to all these benefits promised for Nigerians by the PIA is the provision for a mechanism to address and redress environmental destruction through oil spillage.
Last line
Ogunbodede said: “The execution of CSI or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by oil companies will enhance peace, human capital development and infrastructural development in their host communities as well as improve the welfare of the people.
“People will concomitantly feel a sense of ownership of the oil companies and their assets and so protect them since they benefit from the operations of the companies.
“It will also help to secure assets and installations of oil companies. It will also increase the safety of workers of oil companies.
Such is in sync with PIA. Higher crude oil production will also increase the nation’s foreign exchange earning, assist the federal government to execute its budget and improve the general wellbeing of Nigerians.
