The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited has disbursed a total of N41.1bn ($228m) to fund development projects in Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa and Abia states in the last 13 years.

The General Manager, External Relations, SPDC, Mr Igo Weli, disclosed this during the inauguration of one of the projects in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. The event was organised by the Tarakiri Cluster Development Board and the Oporomor Cluster Development Board.

The SPDC is the operator of a joint venture agreement involving the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Shell, Total Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited.

At the events, 24 completed projects for 2019 valued at N496.9m were handed over to Tarakiri Cluster communities while those of Oporomor Cluster communities for 2019 were valued at N737.4m.

Beneficiaries of the Tarakiri Cluster communities were given as Ayamasa, Agbere, Isampou, Ofoni, Agbidiama and Egbemo-Angalabiri communities, all in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

The benefiting communities under the Oporomor Cluster are Peretorugbene, Amambolou, Oweigbene, Ndoro I, Ndoror II, Tamogbene and Norgbene, also in the Ekeremor LGA.