The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the newly appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), Engineer Bayo Ojulari, to prioritise and expand the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives across tertiary institutions nationwide.
Ojulari formally assumed office over the weekend, succeeding his predecessor, Mr Mele Kyari.
In a statement released on Saturday and signed by its National Vice President for Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Felicia Akinbodunse, NANS acknowledged that while NNPC Ltd. has undertaken some CSR intervention projects in public institutions, increasing support specifically for universities and other higher education institutions would help improve learning environments for students.
The student body also noted that focusing more CSR efforts on tertiary institutions would complement the ongoing contributions of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in the provision of vital educational infrastructure.
NANS congratulated Ojulari on his new role and urged him to tackle the persistent challenges affecting the country’s petroleum sector while also ensuring that the NNPC’s social responsibility aligns more closely with the educational needs of Nigerian students.
According to Akinbodunse, the instability in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petroleum, has taken its toll more on the Nigerian students, urging the new GCEO of the NNPCL to reverse the ugly trend.
She added that though the federal government has finalised plans to establish CNG conversion centres and refuelling stations in 20 tertiary institutions across the country, the NNPCL must bring succour to the masses of Nigerian students through infrastructural intervention and scholarship programmes for indigent but intelligent students.
NANS further charged Ojulari on the need to ensure that the Warri and Port Harcourt refineries swing into full operations in order to make fuel available to Nigerians at an affordable price.
Akinbodunse, who emphasised that students in the country have continued to bear the brunt of the high cost of petrol, appealed to the new NNPC boss to devise strategies to reduce the petrol pump price that will be within the reach of Nigerian students.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing Ojulari, she expressed hope that the new Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation will implement policies capable of solving the plethora of problems in the petroleum sector, thereby making life easier for Nigerians, particularly the students.
Akinbodunse, however, declared that NANS will continue to rally support for Ojulari and his team in their bid to change the narrative in the Nigerian petroleum industry.
Comments are closed.