L-R: Mazi Ikem Okuhu, Publisher of Brandish News (left), presents the Meritorious Award for Best in Poverty Reduction to the NNPC Foundation to the EVP, Business Services, NNPC Ltd, Mrs. Sophia Mbakwe (Middle). On the right is the Managing Director, NNPC Foundation, Mrs. Emmanuella N. Arukwe.
By Bashir Bello
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), through its corporate social responsibility arm, NNPC Foundation Limited/Gte, has been named the Overall Winner/Most Responsible Organisation in Africa by SERAS Africa Sustainability Awards at the 19th edition of the Awards which held in Lagos.
NNPC Foundation received a total of five awards at the ceremony, which was themed “Sustainability 2.0: Innovating for Impact and Inclusive Growth – Full Disclosure”. They include Best in Decent Work/Economic Growth; Best in Stakeholder Engagement; Best in Poverty Reduction; and the Africa Sustainability Professional of the Year which was clinched by Mrs. Emmanuella Arukwe, Managing Director, NNPC Foundation.
Delivering the acceptance speech on behalf of the Board and Senior Management Team of NNPC Limited, the Executive Vice President, Business Services, NNPC Limited, Mrs. Sophia Mbakwe, described the recognitions as both “a validation and a call to deeper national service.”
She reiterated that the Foundation’s work aligns strongly with the agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and rooted in inclusiveness, shared prosperity, and sustainable national development.
“These awards reflect the hopes and lived experiences of over 200 million Nigerians. Their voices and expectations shape our work as they see the impact, and they want us to do even more,” she added.
Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Mrs. Emmanuella Arukwe, stated: “This top recognition affirms our position as a sustainability leader driving meaningful impact and lasting community development across Nigeria and beyond. This win belongs to NNPC Limited. This win belongs to impact. This win belongs to Africa.”
She listed some of the key results achieved by the Foundation in the year to include: Restoration of sight to over 6,000 Nigerians through the free cataract surgeries programme; rehabilitation of three wards with 100-bed capacity at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos; provision of cancer awareness and screening programmes with over 3,441 Nigerians screened for breast, cervical, and prostate cancers in 2024 alone, as well as the provision of essential medical equipment including MRI machines which are now at the final stage of delivery to health facilities across the country; donation of 40,000 STEM textbooks to public schools in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory; provision of financial literacy training to 1,075,981 National Youth Service Corps members, with startup packs and grants for 531 direct beneficiaries to set up their own businesses.
“We have trained 15,085 vulnerable farmers in climate-smart agriculture; distributed more than 30 truckloads of food, water, medical supplies, and sanitary materials to flood victims in Borno State; conducted large-scale (200,000) tree-planting campaigns in Katsina State and set up environmental clubs and community-based climate resilience projects; and donated 45 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to support public transport and Nigeria’s transition to cleaner energy. All our initiatives, from farmer support to youth programmes, are monitored to ensure long-term impact,” she stated.
The five awards won by the NNPC Foundation demonstrate the direct outcome of the company’s leadership in sustainability, placing the Foundation ahead of other major institutions in the final rankings for 2025.
Founder of SERAS Africa, Mr. Ken Egbas, commended NNPC Foundation for its record in sustainability and community development. He noted that SERAS, established in 2007, is now the second-oldest sustainability award scheme globally after the Reuters Business Award and remains the benchmark for corporate responsibility in Africa. This year’s edition attracted 325 entries from 31 African countries, making it the largest and most competitive in the history of the awards.
