Accugas Inaugurates Nigeria’s First Midstream Host Communities Board Of Trustees

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... Board To Drive Development Projects Across Akwa Ibom, Cross River

L-R: Obinna Okorie, Stakeholder Relations Manager, Savannah, Nigeria; Cynthia Nzeh, Senior Manager, Host Community Development Trust, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA); Bassey Itama Abang, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Accugas Host Communities Development Trust; Okwudili Onyia, Communications Manager, Savannah, Nigeria; Roland Uye, Corporate Social Responsibility/Nigerian Content Development Advisor, Savannah, Nigeria, and Edem Ntekim, Corporate Social Responsibility Advisor, Savannah, Nigeria, during the inauguration of the Board of Trustees for the Accugas Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State recently.


Accugas Limited, the midstream subsidiary of Savannah Energy PLC, has inaugurated the Board of Trustees of its Host Communities Development Trust, HCDT, covering its host communities in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

The company described the inauguration as the first midstream Host Communities Development Trust to be inaugurated in Nigeria.

The Trust was established under the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, 2021, to provide a structured platform for host communities to identify and prioritise their development needs and implement projects to address them.

Head of Stakeholder Relations and Regional Manager, Nigeria, Savannah Energy, Nkoyo Etuk, said the inauguration reinforced Accugas’ long-standing commitment to its host communities.

Etuk said the company had over the years supported initiatives in education, healthcare, economic empowerment, infrastructure and other areas of community development.

She said the new framework would give communities greater responsibility, ownership and participation in determining development priorities.

Senior Manager, Host Community Development Trust, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Cynthia Nzeh, commended Accugas and the Board of Trustees for achieving the milestone.

Nzeh urged the board to serve with integrity, transparency and accountability, stressing that its projects and initiatives should reflect the needs and priorities of the host communities.

The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Rt. Hon. Nsikak Ekong, also commended Accugas for incorporating communities across Akwa Ibom and Cross River states into its development agenda.

Ekong urged members of the board to remain accountable and ensure that community leaders and residents were carried along in their activities.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Chief Bassey Itama Abang, said the board would focus on ensuring that the Trust delivered meaningful and sustainable development outcomes.

Abang stressed that the board was “not a contract-awarding institution”, but would work with Accugas, community leaders and other stakeholders to implement projects that reflected community priorities.

The inauguration forms part of Accugas’ sustainability strategy under the pillar “Promoting Socio-economic Prosperity.”

The company said the initiative also aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 1 – No Poverty, SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

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