– Expands Rivers healthcare investment
Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, operator of the NNPC/Renaissance /TotalEnergies/AENR Joint Venture, has unveiled plans to increase crude oil production to 500,000 barrels per day by 2030, while simultaneously expanding healthcare investments across its host communities in Rivers State.
The company disclosed this during the launch of its four-day Vision First Plus healthcare outreach programme in B-Dere community, Gokana Local Government Area, where thousands of residents received free eye surgeries, cancer screening, dental care, and treatment for chronic ailments.
Vice President, Relations and Sustainable Development, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Mr. Igo Weli, said the company’s growth strategy combines energy production with sustained investment in community wellbeing.
“Renaissance is helping Nigeria reclaim production momentum, boosting national crude output by over 200,000 barrels per day and delivering 1.9 billion cubic feet of gas daily to Bonny NLNG within our first year of operations,” Weli stated.
“Our ambition to reach 500,000 barrels per day by 2030 is anchored not just in volume but in value; value for the economy, value for people, and value for the planet.”
Weli represented by the General Manager, Health Renaissance, Dr Akinwumi Fajola, noted that the healthcare outreach reflects Renaissance’s commitment to sustainable development in host communities, stressing that access to quality healthcare should not be treated as a privilege.
“At Renaissance, our purpose is clear; to stand with our communities, invest in people, and create opportunities for healthy and thriving lives,” he said.
“Vision First Plus reflects our belief that access to quality and affordable healthcare is not a privilege, but a shared responsibility.”
According to Weli, the programme was designed to take healthcare directly to underserved communities rather than waiting for residents to visit hospitals and clinics.
“We have designed Health in Motion to take essential healthcare services beyond the walls of hospitals and clinics, delivering care directly to the communities where and when it is most needed,” he said.
The outreach includes eye surgeries, eye screening and consultation, distribution of reading glasses, dental services, mammography and cryotherapy for cancer screening, cardiovascular checks, laboratory services, treatment of chronic and minor ailments, deworming, and insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
Weli disclosed that the company also trained community-based health volunteers known as “Vision Finders” to identify people suffering from visual impairments and connect them to treatment.
“This is not just a health intervention. It is an act of empowerment; investing in people, building local capacity, and ensuring that the work we started together does not end when we leave,” he added.
Representing the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, NUIMS, Mrs. Nkechi Anaedobe, said the joint venture remained focused on improving living conditions in host communities.
“Even though we do exploration and production, it’s important for us as companies that we work on the sustainability path of our lives in the host community,” she said.
Anaedobe revealed that the programme is expected to exceed its initial target of 5,000 beneficiaries.
“We had over 5,000 as our target and we’re on track to not only meet that but surpass it as well,” she added.
Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Health, Dr. Vincent Nwachukwu, commended Renaissance for supporting healthcare delivery in the state and urged residents to enrol in the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme for affordable medical services.
The outreach facilitator and Executive Director of Kolmarg Eyesight Foundation, Prof. Olukorede Adenuga, said the programme has transformed lives in several communities through sight-restoring surgeries and early diagnosis of diseases.
One of the beneficiaries, Madam Mercy Boopee, recounted how the outreach restored her sight after years of blindness.
“I lost my sight and my children were carrying me about, but after the surgery, my two eyesights have been restored,” she said.
This article was originally posted at sweetcrudereports.com
Be the first to comment