Responsible Performance. Shared Progress.

ALEC

Restoring Biodiversity and Supporting Community-Based Conservation

The Afforestation, Reforestation, Livelihood Enhancement and Carbon Sequestration (ALEC) Project is the NNPC Ltd/FIRST E&P Joint Venture’s flagship biodiversity and natural-resource conservation initiative, delivered in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation.

Spanning the 11 KEFFESO host communities in Bayelsa State, ALEC is a five-year programme designed to restore degraded coastal and forest ecosystems, reintroduce declining native tree species, and build community-based conservation. Over the five-year programme, 500,000 trees are planned, with restoration planting scheduled to begin in 2026.

In 2025, ALEC moved from agreement to on-the-ground action. Following the partnership signed with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation in 2024 and the biodiversity assessment of the project area, the year focused on securing government support, mobilising communities and establishing the nurseries that will supply the restoration effort.

Key milestones included engagement with the Bayelsa State Government and relevant ministries, formal entry into all 11 beneficiary communities and the official project launch. Community volunteers were also trained to raise seedlings using locally sourced seeds selected for their ecological suitability, in preparation for restoration planting.

ALEC also forms part of FIRST E&P’s nature-based carbon approach within its broader climate pathway. The Sustainability Report identifies nature-based sequestration through ALEC alongside the company’s credible net-zero pathway as an opportunity relating to access to green finance and carbon markets.

Healthy Hearts Partnership

Accelerating Access to Life-Saving Cardiac Care

In Nigeria, access to specialised cardiovascular care remains beyond the reach of many families, particularly those unable to afford complex procedures. Through a three-year, US$1.5 million partnership launched in 2024, FIRST E&P and the Healthy Heart Foundation are helping to address this gap by providing life-saving cardiac interventions for financially disadvantaged Nigerians.

The partnership combines FIRST E&P’s financial support with the clinical expertise of the Healthy Heart Foundation and First Cardiology Consultants. Services include open-heart surgery, minimally invasive cardiac interventions, diagnostic evaluations, device implantations and post-operative care.

Between October 2024 and August 2025, 183 patients from across Nigeria received support through the programme, including 59 open-heart surgeries and 25 minimally invasive procedures. The programme supports patients across age groups, from infants requiring congenital heart repairs to adults requiring complex valve and cardiovascular procedures.

Beyond individual patients, the partnership contributes to the development of cardiac-care expertise in Nigeria. International cardiac specialists work alongside local medical teams on complex procedures, while Nigerian cardiologists and healthcare professionals gain hands-on learning opportunities and exchange knowledge with visiting specialists. The programme is also fostering collaboration among specialist cardiac teams, referral hospitals and practitioners across multiple regions.

Investing in People & Communities

Creating Shared Value

FIRST E&P’s approach to social performance combines responsible engagement with host communities, statutory contributions through the KEFFESO Host Communities Development Trust (KHCDT), and voluntary investments addressing priority development needs in communities across Nigeria.

In line with the Petroleum Industry Act, the NNPC Ltd/FIRST E&P Joint Venture contributes 3% of its annual operating expenditure to the KHCDT. In 2025, the Joint Venture contributed US$6.26 million, bringing cumulative contributions since 2023 to approximately US$16.78 million. Voluntary direct social investments in education, healthcare, economic empowerment and community development amounted to approximately US$5 million in 2025.

Education remains a central pillar. Through the BiRKE and Inspire scholarship programmes, 81 scholars were supported in 2025. In partnership with the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, FIRST E&P also deployed solar-powered K-YAN digital learning devices to 87 secondary schools and technical colleges. The Joint Venture’s IDP Northeast Education Support Project is also refurbishing schools in Bauchi State.

In healthcare, the KEFFESO Medical and Health Outreach provides consultations, screening, diagnosis, treatment and referrals for residents of remote host communities. Since the programme began in 2022, it has reached more than 10,000 people across 11 communities.

Through these programmes, FIRST E&P combines its statutory obligations with voluntary investment in initiatives designed to expand opportunity, strengthen local capacity and deliver measurable improvements in people’s lives.

Impact FIRST

Scaling Impact Through Grassroots Partnerships

Through Impact FIRST, the NNPC Ltd/FIRST E&P Joint Venture provides funding to credible non-profit organisations addressing critical needs across healthcare, education, youth development, disability inclusion, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability.

In 2025, the programme awarded over ₦287 million in grants to 12 non-governmental organisations. The programme is built around partnering with organisations that possess deep community knowledge and specialist expertise, helping proven interventions extend their reach and impact.

Programmes funded during the year supported vulnerable patients with healthcare; expanded inclusive learning opportunities for children and young people with disabilities; provided treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration support for individuals living with severe mental illness; developed leadership and life skills among young people; and improved access to technology, clean energy and sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Examples included lifesaving medical support for indigent patients, cataract interventions, prosthetic limbs for child amputees, leadership programmes for secondary-school students, sickle-cell awareness programmes, solar-powered ICT laboratories and the conversion of discarded tyres into school footwear.

The programme reflects a partnership-based approach to social investment, strengthening organisations already delivering change and enabling them to reach more people and communities across Nigeria.

Development

Local Content

Local content remains a first principle for FIRST E&P, reflecting the company’s commitment to building indigenous capacity and strengthening Nigerian participation across its operations. In 2025, Nigerian content accounted for more than 80% of total procurement, with approximately 200 Nigerian vendor companies engaged.

Cumulative spend with Nigerian contractors has exceeded US$700 million, demonstrating the scale of Nigerian businesses’ participation in FIRST E&P’s supply chain. The report also identifies local content as a high-impact material sustainability issue for the business.

This commitment extends to FIRST E&P’s workforce. 99% of the company’s 157 employees are Nigerian nationals, reinforcing the company’s position that local content development is a core operating principle rather than simply a regulatory mandate. FIRST E&P continues to invest in succession planning, targeted talent pipelines, structured development grants and technical training to build indigenous capability for the future.

FIRST E&P’s record of local content development has also received industry recognition. The company received the 2025 Indigenous Human Capacity Development Company of the Year Award at the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria Human Capital Development Awards. Previous recognition includes the 2023 Most Impactful Local-Content Development Initiatives award for an independent/indigenous upstream operator at the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair, as well as the 2021 Independent or Indigenous Upstream Operating Company with the Most Impactful Local Content Initiative Award.

Together, these measures demonstrate FIRST E&P’s continued focus on Nigerian participation across its workforce, vendor ecosystem and supply chain, supported by sustained investment in indigenous capability development.