MY INDUSTRIAL TRAINING EXPERIENCE EZINNE KALU (Environmental Biology

Student of MICHEAL OKPARA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, UMUDIKE, ABIA STATE)

I thought working with the Ministry of Environment would give me a broad knowledge
of my course of study but my mother insisted I should try and apply to SPDC. I was
reluctant but I had no choice. We all know Shell as one of the best companies across the
globe but are they the peoples choice? I was one of the few accepted to undertake
industrial training.

I was posted to the Ogoni Restoration Project, the project team saddled with the task of
supporting the Federal Government in the implementation of the 2011 Environmental
Assessment of Ogoniland, popularly called the UNEP Report. The team comprises of
various units, viz Technical and Project, Assessment, Monitoring and Reporting,
Governance and Assurance, Social Performance and Social Investment, Data
Management, Contract Analysis etc. The various units working together to clean-up and
restore crude oil spill polluted sites on and around Shell Right of Way.

When I was given my acceptance letter and was told I was going to work with the
OGONI RESTORATION TEAM like any normal person I was shocked because I felt I
needed to get a practical experience

My first day at work was normal though I was a bit tensed but I soon got over it because
of the smiles from my supervisor who kept on saying anything you dont understand
ask even if it might sound stupid. I read the UNEP Report which gave me insight on the
challenges of Shell in Ogoniland and the reason for the setup of Ogoni Restoration
Project. Reading the UNEP Report was not fun at first but the more time I spent reading
it the more it made me see SHELL not in a blind mans way but it broadened my
knowledge on the actions to be taken in restoring Ogoniland.

During the second week, I had an induction session with the Team Leads of each unit
(data management, monitoring and reporting, social performance, governance and
assurance, site assessment and remediation, HSSE) to learn about their specific roles in
the team

My first field experience was amazing, I went to various sites at K-Dere, Gokana L.G.A
for assessment activities. In the course of the activities, I learnt how bore-holes were
drilled to obtain soil samples at various depths, the equipments used in drilling, how
groundwater samples were taken and how to calculate the following: water table, depth
of bore-hole, stick-up, permeability.

I joined the Social Performance Team in the grassroots campaign against crude oil theft
and illegal bunkering and consequences of artisanal refining in the community. The
Social Investment Team is also involved with Agricultural Entreprenuerial Support
scheme, where 60 youths were trained in some farming activities namely, cassava
production, fish farms, poultry farm. Monitoring visits were paid to the beneficiaries to
ensure the sustainability of their enterprises.

I was also part of the interview panel for the Ogoni LiveWIRE programme. LiveWIRE
programme is instituted to raise the standard of living of the youths and helps in
reducing oil theft by providing an alternate means of livelihood for the people. The
selection interview provides the prospective candidate the opportunity to present the
innovation that is added to their business and how they plan to make profits if they are
given a startup capital.

I worked with the site supervisors on various remediation sites; Kporghor, Norkpo, B-
Dere, Ogale, and Bomu Well 45 where we had drill cuttings in the soil.

I can now say that I have been impacted with the best knowledge during my 5 months
internship with ORP and it has made me a proud person not because I did my industrial
training in SPDC but because I can proudly talk about my team and how we are working
tirelessly to see our work successful and Ogoni clean. With all the information gained
from my supervisors I can now supervise a site either for assessment or remediation and
I know the knowledge gained will be made useful back in school

I want the team to also try and shade more light to the people on our progress and
works being done in OGONI because few people out there dont understand and if no
pictures or stories are told we will always be in the dark.