NNPC/Seplat Energy JV Empowers First Cohort of Teachers in Imo Through STEP

The NNPC/Seplat Energy Joint Venture (JV) has graduated its first cohort of teachers in Imo State under the Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP), equipping 127 teachers and education evaluators with digital skills and STEAM-focused teaching techniques.

The company also provided alternative income-generating skills to the teachers, aimed at strengthening their professional development and making them economically resourceful.

The maiden Imo State edition brought together teachers from communities across the state for an intensive training programme over a three-month period, designed to go beyond conventional classroom instruction.

Participants received practical training in digital learning, communications, entrepreneurship and skills development, with a focus on empowering them to apply the knowledge gained in their classrooms and communities.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Owerri, the Managing Director of the NNPC/Seplat Energy JV, Mrs. Nnenna Afe, said the programme was designed to strengthen the capacity of teachers and improve the quality of education in host communities.

She noted that the STEP programme had previously been implemented in Edo and Delta States, where more than 2,000 teachers had been trained and empowered, adding that the Imo edition marked the programme’s first intervention in the state.

According to Afe, the programme was deliberately designed to extend beyond conventional teaching skills by equipping teachers with digital competencies to integrate technology into teaching and learning, improve productivity and better prepare students for an increasingly digital world.

She said the NNPC/Seplat Energy JV remained committed to investing in human capital development as a key driver of sustainable growth and community transformation.

The STEP programme reflects the NNPC/Seplat Energy JV’s broader commitment to education, skills development and sustainable community impact across its areas of operation.

By equipping teachers with relevant digital, pedagogical, and entrepreneurial skills, the programme seeks to strengthen educators and enable them to become catalysts for change within their schools and communities.