INTELS Nigeria Limited has strengthened its commitment to women’s economic empowerment with the graduation of 62 trainees from its 2025 Women Empowerment Project Scheme Synergy (WEPSS). The ceremony took place at the Rosa Volpi Women Development Centre located within the Federal Lighter Terminal at the Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone in Rivers State.
WEPSS was launched in 2013 as part of INTELS’ Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and was designed to train 5,000 women in tailoring and fashion design over a 20-year period. The scheme was expanded in 2017, reaching more women within the company’s host communities. Over the years, the programme has provided thousands of women, many from low-income backgrounds, with skills, confidence and resources to build viable businesses, improve household income and support local economic growth.
INTELS Managing Director, Mr Pasquale Fiore, described the initiative as a key part of the company’s community partnership model. Speaking at the event, he restated INTELS’ dedication to equipping women in and around its host communities with the tools needed for financial independence. “We firmly believe that when women thrive, communities thrive,” he said.
Fiore explained that WEPSS aims to create long-term prosperity rather than simply offer training. He noted that the programme was enhanced in 2022 to include fully equipped shop facilities for the best graduates. “Our vision for WEPSS has always been to do more than train; we want to create opportunities for lasting prosperity. That is why, in 2022, we enhanced the programme by awarding fully equipped shop facilities to the best graduates. It is a way of saying that excellence, hard work and commitment will always be recognised.”
He stated that he was encouraged by the success stories emerging from earlier beneficiaries. “Many of our alumnae have now established flourishing businesses, some employing others and expanding beyond their initial expectations. Seeing their shops open, seeing them support their families, and seeing the confidence they now carry is testimony to what targeted empowerment can achieve,” he said.
Fiore praised the resilience of the trainees and confirmed that the top 15 graduates of the 2025 class would receive starter kits to help them begin their businesses.
WEPSS Project Coordinator, Nancy Freeborn, highlighted the wider social impact of the scheme. She said the programme has transformed the lives of many women in Rivers State, helping them become contributors to family welfare and community development instead of dependants. Freeborn expressed appreciation to INTELS’ management for sustaining the initiative for more than a decade. She noted the company’s consistent investment in skills, innovation and industry relevance through additions such as the Train-the-Trainer Scheme and partnerships with the Fashion Experience Festival and Private Broadway Shows. These platforms give students exposure to broader creative and commercial opportunities in the fashion industry.
At the ceremony, the 2025 best graduating trainee, Saraphina Jacob, received N2 million and a starter kit that included an industrial sewing machine and a steam iron. In her note of appreciation on behalf of the 2025 graduating beneficiaries, she thanked INTELS for “opening a door that many young women only dream of” and promised to use the opportunity to build a sustainable fashion business that would “make the company and the community proud.”
The 2024 best graduating trainee, Obarijima Lewa, received the keys to a fully furnished and equipped shop to support the launch of her fashion design career. She expressed gratitude, saying the support had transformed her life and given her a platform beyond her imagination. Another beneficiary added, “INTELS has shown us that our dreams are valid, and I will work hard to justify this generous investment in my future.”
Other outstanding graduates also received starter kits to support their entrepreneurial journeys. The event attracted stakeholders from the Oil and Gas Free Zone, government representatives and community leaders.
Beyond WEPSS, INTELS continues to contribute to national development through its community initiatives, including infrastructure projects, scholarships, health programmes and vocational training schemes. With over four decades of operations, INTELS has established itself as a global reference point for oil and gas logistics in Africa, backed by world-class infrastructure, innovation and a strong culture of corporate responsibility.
