By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief

The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc (OOPC) have signed a landmark ₦1.2 billion partnership agreement to advance peacebuilding and community development across OOPC’s host communities in Edo State.

According to a statement issued by OOPC’s Managing Director, Dr. Graham Hefer, the agreement builds on a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2024 and has been further strengthened by a new Project-Specific Agreement for 2026. He said the collaboration reflects a strong commitment to sustainable corporate responsibility, shared prosperity, and long-term peace in Nigeria’s oil-producing region.

“At Okomu, we believe sustainable business must go hand in hand with shared prosperity,” Hefer said. “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 will focus on key development priorities identified through a joint community needs assessment. These include:

Peacebuilding and conflict prevention: strengthening community dialogue platforms, training peace monitors, and promoting early warning systems.

Market systems development: supporting 3,000 smallholder farmers with improved agricultural practices and market linkages.

Access to finance: expanding MSME growth through financial literacy training and a loan guarantee scheme.

Access to renewable energy: deploying a pilot solar mini-grid to electrify schools and health centres.

Youth employment and skills development: establishing a model Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centre to train 60 young people in tailoring and the production of protective coveralls for OOPC’s operations.

Executive Director of PIND Foundation, Mr. Sam Ogbemi Daibo, described the partnership as a strong example of the transformative potential of collaboration between the private sector and development organisations.

“This partnership embodies what we call ‘development through shared value’,” Daibo said. “Together with Okomu, we are not only delivering social investment but building local capacity, peace, and self-reliance — the real foundations of resilience.”

According to him, the partnership aims to set a new benchmark for responsible corporate citizenship in Nigeria’s private sector by demonstrating that shared prosperity and social stability can coexist when companies invest meaningfully in their host communities.

A Joint Steering Committee, comprising representatives from both PIND and OOPC, will oversee the initiative to ensure transparency, accountability, and gender inclusion across all interventions.