Shell Companies in Nigeria were crowned the best in sustainable stakeholder engagement and promotion of human rights in the annual Social Enterprise Report and Awards held in Lagos on Saturday.
Shell also emerged the first runner-up in the overall SERAs CSR awards for the most responsible Nigerian company, while it was nominated for its sterling performance in five other categories – Infrastructure; Sustainability Report; Supply Chain; Partnership for Development; and Income and Wealth Generation.
“The Global Memorandum of Understanding initiative, among others, stood Shell companies out in stakeholder engagement, while its human rights training programme cannot go unrecognised,” the award organisers said.
The organisers recognised the efforts of the Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria and Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mutiu Sunmonu, and named him Sustainability Champion.
“We are grateful for the recognition of our efforts which began since we set foot in the Niger Delta in the 1950s,” said Sunmonu as he received the awards. “The awards are a challenge for me and my colleagues in Shell and we shall remain in the forefront of converting Nigeria’s oil and gas resources to more jobs and opportunities for Nigerians.”
The SERAs aim to recognise corporate bodies who invest in society through CSR progammes.
Shell Companies in Nigeria have won the SERAs in six different categories since they were instituted eight years ago.
Shell Companies in Nigeria work proactively with government, communities, NGOs and civil society to promote sustainable, multi-stakeholder initiatives that have a real impact on lives in the Niger Delta.
A key aspect of the social investment is the GMoU model which was introduced in 2006 by SPDC.
By the end of 2013, SPDC had signed agreements with a total of 37 GMoU clusters, covering 387 communities in the Niger Delta.