By Emma Sunday
The NNPC/Heirs Energies JV OML 17 Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) today May 26, 2026 launches a comprehensive Free Medical Outreach Initiative aimed at improving access to quality healthcare for residents across the OML 17 acreage in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The initiative, spanning 15 centres in Umuechem, Igwuruta, Mgbodo-Alu, Eneka, Rumukurishi, Oyigbo, Iriebe, Umuebulu, Umuokwa, Odagwa, Egwi, Elelewon, Ozuoba, and Rumuigbo, will deliver free medical consultations, health education, wellness counselling, dental care, eye care, and surgical services to an estimated 4,500 beneficiaries. The outreach is designed to address both urgent and preventive healthcare needs in the region.
In a statement shared ahead of the flag-off ceremony scheduled for later today in Umuechem, His Royal Majesty, King Dr. Samuel Amaechi, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NNPC/Heirs Energies JV OML 17 HCDT, emphasized the importance of health as a pillar of sustainable development:
“This medical outreach is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the well-being of our people. We recognize that no community can thrive without access to basic healthcare. Through this initiative, the HCDT is not only meeting immediate health needs but also reaffirming its role as a responsive and compassionate development institution. We are grateful to our partners, the NNPC and Heirs Energies, for their support in making this vision a reality.”
The OML 17 Medical Outreach forms part of the Trust’s broader mission to implement sustainable, people-focused development programmes that align with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and contribute meaningfully to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Medical teams comprising doctors, nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, surgeons, and dentists have been deployed across the participating communities. They are supported by local volunteers and community leaders to ensure smooth execution and broad-based impact.
The NNPC/Heirs Energies JV OML 17 Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) is a statutory development platform established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 to drive sustainable development and economic empowerment for host communities within the OML 17 oil and gas acreage.
Incorporated by the NNPC/Heirs Energies Joint Venture, the Trust represents a transformative model of community engagement – anchored in transparency, inclusion, and long-term impact.
Representing 73 communities and reputed to be the largest HCDT in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, the Trust remains committed to fostering inclusive growth and delivering real, lasting value to its people, exemplifying an unwavering focus on impact-driven development that improves lives, today and for generations to come.
