Total Upstream Nigeria Limited (TUPNL) has laid the foundation stone for the building of a rehabilitation centre for vulnerable women in Umuahia, the Abia State capital.
The gesture, the firm said, is part of their social responsibility policy.
TUPNL and its partners are establishing the multi-million naira women development and rehabilitation centre in Abia State which will also provide training for women, especially the vulnerable ones, in various entrepreneurial skills.
The centre when completed will be known as Umuahia Women Development Centre, and will also provide temporary rehabilitation home for vulnerable women, distressed, bartered and repatriated Abians before re-uniting them with their families.
Speaking in Umuahia at the ground-breaking ceremony of the project, the Managing Director (MD) of Total E&E Nigeria Limited, Mr. Nicholas Terraz described the project as one of the ways they are giving back to the system.
Terraz explained that building will offer unique opportunities for young women to acquire various entrepreneurial skills to enable them augment their family income, improve the quality and overall wellbeing of their families, communities and the state in general.
He disclosed that in fulfilling its corporate social responsibility, Total always take into consideration the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of reduction of poverty and hunger; improvement of health and wellbeing.
The Total E&E MD continued that UN development goals include provision of decent job for economic growth; encouragement of women participation in building of sustainable cities and communities as well as partnerships with Governments, private sector and civil society.
Terraz who was represented by Dr. Charles Ngeribara, the General Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, also announced that TUPNL has a long history of supporting Nigerian communities and public institutions with interventions in the areas of education, health, agriculture, women and youth development, and provision of portable water among others.
He said, “This facility is designed to offer vocational training in fashion designing, catering, computer science, as well as provide a training space for other skills to be determined by the management of the centre. When completed, the centre will have the capacity of training, at least, 170 women per day in three sessions”.
The Total E&E MD explained that the facility would have five offices, sick bay, 200-seater auditorium, 14 toilet facilities, a waiting lounge, 4 trade training centers, among other facilities.
Terraz explained that the facility which is also be known as Half Way Home because those who will be trained there would be the vulnerable, bartered, distressed women and after training they will leave for their various homes, “It is not a permanent home for such people”.
In his remarks while performing the ground breaking ceremony, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, represented by the Commissioner for Lands, Mr. Uche Ihediwa, commended Total for bringing the facility to Abia State and assured them of government support and cooperation.
Ikpeazu praised the efforts of Total E&E for remembering the vulnerable in the state, adding that they are complementing and adding value to what his administration has been doing for such category of people in the state.
The Abia State governor said, “When my office received the proposal for this project, I did not waste time in directing the commissioner for Lands to provide land for it so that they would commence work without delay which why we are here today”.
The governor wondered if it is only Total oil that is the only oil company prospecting for oil in the state, “I want to use this forum to urge other oil companies working in the state to borrow a leaf from Total and do the needful in our state”.
Ikpeazu commended them for providing the Half Way Home which will enable the vulnerable to learn some skills but warned that it should not be made too comfortable so as not to make them to refuse to go after finishing their programs.
In her address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Ugoeze Kate Onyemachi expressed joy for the project, saying the Half Way Home would be used to rehabilitate teenage social mother usually brought to her Ministry as well as deported Abians.