The NNPC Limited/FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company Limited Joint Venture has introduced Impact FIRST: Heritage, a new multi-year grant programme designed to provide sustained funding and long-term partnership support to high-impact Nigerian non-governmental organisations.

The programme was unveiled at the inaugural Impact FIRST: Heritage Grant Presentation Ceremony held recently in Ikoyi, Lagos. Representatives of the Joint Venture, beneficiary organisations, development stakeholders and members of the media attended the event.

Impact FIRST: Heritage expands on the Joint Venture’s flagship Impact FIRST grant programme, which was launched in 2024 to support innovative Nigerian NGOs tackling critical social challenges.

Since its introduction, Impact FIRST has supported 15 organisations, with their interventions reaching more than 20,000 beneficiaries across Nigeria.

While the annual Impact FIRST programme provides one-off grants to a broader group of eligible organisations, the Heritage initiative is structured around longer-term partnerships.

Under the new programme, previous Impact FIRST beneficiaries that have demonstrated strong institutional governance, measurable social impact, sustainable programme delivery and the ability to responsibly scale their interventions can receive multi-year funding.

Following a rigorous assessment process, five organisations were chosen as the inaugural beneficiaries of Impact FIRST: Heritage.

The beneficiaries are The IREDE Foundation, which provides prosthetic limbs and support services for child amputees; Asido Foundation, which focuses on the rehabilitation and reintegration of people living with severe mental health conditions; and Cerebral Palsy Centre, which provides long-term care and support for people living with cerebral palsy.

The other beneficiaries are the Health and Development Support Programme, which provides eye-care interventions and sight-restoring surgeries for underserved communities, and Health Emergency Initiative (HEI), which works to expand access to emergency healthcare services while supporting first-responder capacity development.

Speaking at the ceremony, Executive Director, Corporate Services, FIRST E&P, Emmanuel Etomi, described Impact FIRST: Heritage as an important evolution in the Joint Venture’s social investment strategy.

He said the programme would give the selected organisations an opportunity to expand their interventions, strengthen their institutional capacity and generate greater value for vulnerable and underserved communities.

“Today, we celebrate five exceptional organisations whose work continues to improve lives, strengthen communities, and create opportunities for some of Nigeria’s most vulnerable and underserved populations,” Etomi said.

He added that sustained support for organisations with established performance records and measurable results would enable them to broaden their impact and deliver greater value to the communities they serve.

Representing the Chief Upstream Investment Officer, NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services, Olanrewaju Igandan, at the event, Advisor, Community Relations, NUIMS, Usman Mohammed-Bello, said moving from annual corporate giving to a multi-year grant framework represents a more strategic approach to social investment.

According to him, the model is consistent with wider sustainable development imperatives and provides an avenue for achieving stronger long-term social impact.

Mohammed-Bello also commended FIRST E&P for the initiative and reaffirmed NUIMS’ commitment to collaborative efforts aimed at promoting social value creation and national development priorities.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiary organisations, Executive Director of Health Emergency Initiative, Pascal Achunine, expressed appreciation to the NNPC Limited/FIRST E&P JV for selecting the five organisations for the programme.

Achunine said the support went beyond financial assistance, describing it as a vote of confidence in the work being undertaken by organisations across Nigeria’s social sector.

He said the beneficiary organisations would use the opportunity to deepen their interventions and reach more people in need.

The introduction of Impact FIRST: Heritage represents a move towards longer-term corporate social investment partnerships, with the NNPC Limited/FIRST E&P JV focusing on strengthening proven interventions rather than relying solely on short-term funding.

Through the programme, the Joint Venture aims to broaden access to critical services and support sustainable development outcomes in areas including healthcare, education, economic empowerment and community development.

The initiative also underscores the role of strategic partnerships and sustained funding in helping Nigerian NGOs strengthen their operations, expand proven solutions and deliver lasting impact in underserved communities.

Source: MSME Africa Online