Niger Delta Foundation, Okomu Oil Seal N1.2bn Deal For Prosperity In Edo Communities

The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc have signed a landmark N1.2 billion partnership agreement to drive peacebuilding, livelihood improvement, and inclusive development across Okomu’s host communities in Edo State.

Anchored on a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2024 and strengthened by a new project-specific agreement for 2026, both parties say the partnership represents a commitment to sustainable corporate responsibility, shared prosperity, and lasting peace in Nigeria’s oil-producing region.

“At Okomu, we believe sustainable business must go hand in hand with shared prosperity,” said Dr Graham Hefer, managing director of Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc. “This partnership with PIND reinforces our commitment to peace, partnership, and the well-being of our host communities through long-term, measurable impact.”

The 2026 CSR programme is designed to address critical development priorities identified through a joint community needs assessment, focusing on five key thematic areas — peacebuilding and conflict prevention, by strengthening community dialogue platforms, training peace monitors, and promoting early warning systems; and market systems development, through support to 3,000 smallholder farmers with improved agricultural practices and market linkages.

It is also expected to create access to finance, by expanding MSME growth through financial literacy and a loan guarantee scheme; access to renewable energy, through the deployment of a pilot solar mini-grid to electrify schools and health centers; and youth employment and skills development, with the establishment of a model Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centre to train 60 young people in tailoring and production of protective coveralls for Okomu’s operations.

According to the executive director of PIND Foundation, Mr Sam Ogbemi Daibo, the partnership demonstrates the transformative power of collaboration between the private sector and development organisations.

“This partnership embodies what we call ‘development through shared value’. Together with Okomu, we are delivering social investment and building local capacity, peace, and self-reliance — the real foundations of resilience,” said Daibo.

A Joint Steering Committee, made up of representatives from PIND and the oil company, will govern the initiative jointly to ensure transparency, accountability, and gender inclusion across all interventions.

Through the partnership, PIND and Okomu aim to set a new benchmark for responsible corporate citizenship in Nigeria’s private sector — demonstrating that shared prosperity and social stability can go hand in hand when businesses invest meaningfully in their host communities.