Total Upstream believes that investment in people is a catalyst for other forms of enduring development. Accordingly, our company is investing heavily in programmes that contribute to human development in the host communities, through our Joint Venture with the Nigerian government organisation, the NNPC. Receiving support are projects for skills acquisition and development, scholarship schemes, educational infrastructure, university endowments, and the establishment of an Institute of Petroleum Studies.

The other area in which the NNPC/ EPNL Joint venture is touching lives positively, is in Youth and sports developments. In addition, we also gives active support for women development activities through sponsorship of programmes by various women organisations.

Scholarships for Nigerian students: from grade 1 to post-doctorate

In the 1998 / 99 academic year, our JV introduced a national merit scholarship programme, expanding our preceding scheme restricted to host communities. To date about 2,200 Nigerian students have benefited from our merit scholarship programme. "Development of the potentials of proven talents", is run in partnership with the French Embassy. The programme, which aims to identify young talents in Nigerian and expose these future professionals to modern laboratories, methods and techniques, is open to undergraduate students of Nigerian origin and is tenable in Nigerian Universities. Most recipients have graduated and are contributing to national Sustainable Development. Today, the community scholarship programme supports 2.670 students in Post Primary Schools, 2.845 in Post Secondary and 185 Post Graduate candidates pursuing studies in various courses locally and overseas. To date about 12.500 community youths have benefited.

Institute of Petroleum studies (IPS)

In collaboration with the world renowned French Petroleum Institute (IFP), our JV has established Nigeria's second petroleum institution, the Institute of Petroleum Studies (IPS) at the University of EPNL Management. The aim is to provide high level specialised and post graduate training for the development of the nation's oil and gas sector. The first set of students began academic work in November 2003. Lecturers, who are experts in disciplines including General Engineering Reservoir Engineering, Drilling / Completion, Production Engineering as well as Oil and Gas Fields Development, are drawn from the IFP, France, the University of Port Harcourt and the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. This project is a major step forward in the educational co-operation of the Joint Venture with institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. The IPS, will certainly contribute significantly to the improvement of the professional standard of engineering available for the oil and gas industry in the country.

Support of professional organisations

Seminars, lectures and programmes by professional organisations receive our support and sponsorship to encourage and improve professionalism and excellence in their practices. These include the : Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), National Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) and the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).

Improving educational infrastructure: buildings and hardware

Further long-term support for educational development includes: building, renovation and furnishing of classroom blocks, technical workshops, teachers' quarters, donation of computer equipment and electric power generators to universities, textbooks to secondary schools and donations to educational endowment funds. Other important projects include building and equipping science laboratories including one at Obagi, which serves as a centre of excellence for the teaching and learning of science in secondary schools within Rivers State; and the community-based National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC), where participants of the NYSC are selected and posted to teach science subjects, mathematics and English language in rural areas. The NYSC Teachers Pilot Scheme commenced in 1999 with about 21 corps members. Today, the scheme has 42 NYSC teachers in various schools in the OML 58 concession area alone. The Teachers' Enhancement Programme is another community human development initiative aimed at attracting and retaining qualified teachers in the host communities. The JV is to provide incentive packages to teachers in community schools and equip their libraries with recommended textbooks to encourage the reading culture. Computers are also provided to improve capacity for school record keeping. The company is also building a N34-million modern lecture theatre, designed to sit over 500 students, at the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.

Sports and other youth competitions

The Joint Venture is also very active in supporting youth and sports development, investing substantially in the promotion of local sporting activities including lawn tennis, billiards and snooker, swimming and golf competitions. Company-sponsored tournaments have brought sports glories to Rivers State and Nigeria during national and international sports championships. We have recently added football competition among communities in the OML 58 concession area to promote healthy inter-community relations and harmony. It is organised in collaboration with an NGO, the Strategic Development Initiative (SDI) which is also organising quiz and debate competitions among secondary schools in OML 58 and plans to extend it to other OML communities. Our sponsorships have resulted in producing athletes at both national and international levels. Popular among these are swimming, lawn tennis, billiards & snooker and golf.

Women's activities

The Joint Venture also supports women's development activities, sponsoring programmes by women organisations such as the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA), the Rivers State Ministry of Youth and Women Affairs as well as the Egi Women's Association and the OML 58 Women organisation. In 2003, women in our host communities in Delta and Akwa Ibom States were sponsored to rallies organised to mark International Women's Day, in Asaba and Uyo respectively. And in 2004 the company also hosted the International Women's Day in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta States, with women leaders and organisations participating.

Arts and Culture

Our philosophy also includes the development and promotion of Arts and Culture through art exhibitions, choral music concerts and cultural festivals.Reflecting our respect for the values, customs and traditions of Nigeria's people, we offer our support and sponsorship of community festivals such as Egwu -Ogba, the new yam festival of the Egi people, RIVIFEST, the cultural fiesta of Rivers State and NIFEST, the Nigerian festival of arts and culture.

We also sponsor from traditional folklore to classical music concerts such as the popular annual festivals of the musical society of Nigeria (MUSON) in Lagos. To promote talented Nigerians' art work, we sponsor exhibitions of Nigerian art, sculpture, paintings and fashion design in the country and overseas.