“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – Nelson Mandela
Following the findings at the AEP Education Summit held in 2010, a special purpose vehicle called the
AEP Education
Foundation Trust Fund was registered, to enable the Association intervene in a structured and
sustainable manner, in the
promotion and development of education in Esanland.
Consequently, the formal launch of the Trust Fund took place at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos,
on December 14,
2014.
The sum of about N40,000,000 (forty million naira) was realized from the total cash and pledges made at
the launch.
To promote education, culture and language of Esanland’ To promote educational development and assist indigent students acquire skills. To promote the propagation, writing and use of Esan Language. To promote art and revive cultural renaissance of Esanland. To promote tourism and development of tourist resorts in Esanland.
AEP through the Education Foundation signed an MOU with the authorities of the Petroleum Training
Institute (PTI),
Warri, on skill acquisition training in welding and fabrication techniques for Esan youths.
Pursuant to that MOU, the Association of Esan Professionals (AEP) in conjunction with the Petroleum
Training Institute
(PTI), Warri, trained and graduated twenty (20) Nigerian youths in welding and fabrication competencies
under its Skill
Acquisition Programme.
The twenty (20) Esan youths were in two (2) batches of ten (10) trainees each selected from the five
Local Government
Areas in Esanland (four per LGA).
The successful youths were appraised in both written examination and a proficiency/practical test
conducted by the
Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) and the International Institute of Welding (IIW) through the Nigerian
Institute of
Welding (NIW), leading to full certification by the three bodies to the level of PIPE WELDERS.
AEP paid the sum of ₦14,700,000 as the tuition fees and costs of the trainers’ logistics for the first
set of 10
trainees and ₦15,200,000.00 (Fifteen Million, two hundred thousand Naira) for the second batch.
The then Vice President, and the Chairman, Education Foundation Trust Fund Management Board, Chief (Dr.)
Leemon Ikpea,
provided two bungalows to serve as accommodation to the trainees at no extra cost to the Association. He
also gave the
trainees the first set of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for their use.
Based on additional request from the trainees, the Association (AEP) spent the additional sum of
₦537,000 and ₦624,000
for the purchase of more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the first batch of trainees and second
batch
respectively.
On the strength of the PTI’s management recommendation, and to increase the trainees’ competitive
value/opportunities in
the industry on the completion of the training programme, the Association paid the additional sum of
₦6,000,000.00 (Six
Million Naira) at ₦3,000,000.00 ( Three Million Naira) per batch to PTI, as the cost of their
International Welder
Institute Certification issued by the International Institute of Welding (IIW) through the Nigerian
Institute of Welding
(NIW) to the trainees.
The Association resolved to give scholarship to indigent Students of Esan extraction at all levels of
education in its
2020 Education Project.
Under this project, AEP seeks to collaborate with well-meaning individuals and corporate bodies to
provide scholarship
to indigent Students of Esan extraction at all levels of education.
The project is a merit based yearly scholarship for indigent Esan pupils/students who have no hope of
financing their
education. It is aimed at providing education to brilliant Esan sons and daughters who would have
dropped out of school
for lack of funds.
An evaluation system will be put in place for credible and transparent assessment of indigent Esan
children in public
primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
On the other hand, the project will also involve collaboration with the National Institute of
Construction Technology
(NICT), Uromi to provide vocational training for another set of Esan youths towards empowering Esan
people.
We kindly solicit the support of all well meaning Esan sons and daughters world-wide, by donating
generously to our
Education Trust Fund to enable the Association to sustain and expand the scope of its skills Acquisition
Programs
towards the economic empowerment of our people.
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest” – Benjamin Franklin