DEVELOPMENT TRUST IMPROVES EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE IN BAYELSA COMMUNITIES

The KEFFESO Host Community Development Trust has stepped up development projects across 11 oil-producing communities in Bayelsa State, with interventions covering education, healthcare, infrastructure, water supply and youth empowerment.

The communities, located in Brass and Southern Ijaw Local Government Areas, are beneficiaries of the Host Community Development Trust established under the Petroleum Industry Act.

The trust was created to provide a structured system for directing funds from oil operations towards projects that address the needs of host communities.  

According to stakeholders, the intervention has increased access to education and healthcare while supporting infrastructure and economic opportunities in the communities.

The trust has recruited qualified teachers from the host communities and provided incentives for government-employed teachers to improve attendance and retention. It has also supported medical outreach programmes to bring healthcare services closer to residents who previously travelled long distances for treatment.  

Other projects include the construction of concrete walkways and the completion of road projects inherited from an earlier development arrangement.

The trust covers communities including Koluama 1 and 2, Ezetu 1 and 2, Foropa, Fish Town, Ekeni, Sangana, Opu-Okumbiri, Okumbiribeleu and Oginibiri.

Officials said the development model is intended to ensure that host communities have a greater role in identifying and implementing projects that directly address their needs.