Morganable News / Communities
A new three-year partnership is targeting jobs, enterprise development and clean energy across 11 host communities in Bayelsa State.
Lagos —
The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and the KEFFESO Host Community Development Trust (KEFFESO HCDT) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding aimed at improving livelihoods, youth employment and clean-energy access in 11 host communities in Bayelsa State.
The agreement, signed on October 1, 2026, brings together PIND’s experience in enterprise development, energy access and peacebuilding with the community development responsibilities of KEFFESO HCDT.
The partnership will focus on practical opportunities that can improve the economic lives of residents while supporting development plans already adopted by the host communities.
The 11 communities covered by the partnership are Koluama 1, Koluama 2, Ezetu 1, Ezetu 2, Foropa, Fish Town, Ekeni, Sangana, Opu Okumbiri, Okumbiribeleu and Oginibiri.
According to reports on the agreement, the partners will explore technical and vocational training linked to employment and entrepreneurship. They will also examine clean-energy solutions for households and businesses in the communities.
The partnership is expected to provide opportunities for young people to gain practical skills that can improve their chances of earning an income.
PIND said the initiative would also help develop approaches that could be useful to other Host Community Development Trusts in the Niger Delta.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, PIND Executive Director, Sam Ogbemi Daibo, said development investments in host communities should respond to local priorities and create opportunities that can last.
He said combining KEFFESO’s knowledge of its communities with PIND’s technical experience and network could help develop practical solutions in employment, enterprise and energy access.
The partnership also places emphasis on community participation.
KEFFESO HCDT Chairman, Board of Trustees, HRH Chief Theophilus Moses, said the communities should remain at the centre of decisions affecting their development.
He said the agreement would allow the Trust to connect its development plan with additional expertise and partnerships while strengthening community participation and ownership.
That emphasis is important because development projects in host communities often depend on whether residents are involved in identifying their needs and determining how interventions should be implemented.
Under the new arrangement, KEFFESO HCDT will take responsibility for identifying community priorities, engaging residents and promoting local ownership.
PIND, on the other hand, will provide technical advice, programme design support and access to its partner networks.
The two organisations will also document lessons from the partnership and use evidence to guide future development initiatives.
Focus on young people
Youth employment is one of the major areas covered by the agreement.
The planned technical and vocational training is expected to connect skills development with employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.
For communities where young people may face limited formal employment opportunities, training that is linked to actual economic activities can provide an alternative pathway into work.
The partners will also explore enterprise development, meaning residents could receive support to develop or strengthen small businesses.
The clean-energy component is another major part of the agreement.
The partners plan to examine solutions that can provide cleaner and potentially more reliable energy for households and businesses.
This could support economic activities that depend on electricity while contributing to wider efforts to improve energy access in rural and host communities.
The focus on enterprise and energy also means the programme is not limited to training alone. The partners are expected to connect skills, business opportunities and community priorities so that residents can participate more directly in local economic activity.
Building on existing projects
The new partnership will build on work already carried out by KEFFESO HCDT.
Since beginning operations in July 2024, the Trust has completed 20 infrastructure projects across its host communities and started processes for another 11 projects scheduled for 2026.
It also comes shortly after another community-focused intervention in the same 11 communities.
A medical outreach organised by the NNPC Limited/FIRST E&P Joint Venture, in partnership with KEFFESO HCDT, provided free medical consultations, laboratory testing, eye and dental screenings, eye surgeries and health education to residents.
Reports said the medical programme had reached more than 10,000 people across the 11 communities over four years.
The combination of healthcare, infrastructure, livelihood support and energy initiatives highlights the broader development needs of communities located in the Niger Delta.
A model for other communities
PIND and KEFFESO HCDT also intend to create a knowledge-sharing platform for Host Community Development Trusts.
The platform is expected to help document what works and share lessons with other trusts.
This could allow experiences from the Bayelsa communities to inform development programmes in other oil-producing areas.
KEFFESO HCDT was established under the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, which provides for Host Community Development Trusts to plan and deliver development initiatives in petroleum host communities.
The three-year partnership will operate alongside the support KEFFESO HCDT already receives from its settlor, FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company Limited, and its technical consultant, Rex and Rhema Consulting Limited.
For residents, the major focus will ultimately be whether the partnership translates into practical opportunities.
Training will need to connect with real jobs and businesses. Energy projects will need to respond to actual community needs, while development initiatives will depend on continued participation by residents.
The agreement provides a framework for these activities over the next three years.
As implementation begins, the 11 Bayelsa host communities will be watching for the impact on employment, businesses, household energy access and local livelihoods.
The partnership also offers an opportunity to demonstrate how community-led planning, technical support and private-sector involvement can work together to address development needs in Nigeria’s oil-producing communities.
