Former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Dr. Vincent Adams has criticised ExxonMobil’s recently announced US$100 million Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative for Guyana, arguing that the contribution represents only a small portion of money that ultimately belongs to the Guyanese people.
In a letter to the media, Adams said the programme—valued at US$10 million annually over ten years—has been presented as a major investment in education, but in reality represents a “tiny fraction” of revenue derived from Guyana’s oil sector.
The initiative was announced on February 23, 2026, during an engagement at State House where ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods disclosed that the company would invest US$100 million over a decade to support STEM education in Guyana. Woods said the programme is intended to strengthen local capacity and expand opportunities for Guyanese students to pursue careers in science and technology. President Irfaan Ali welcomed the initiative, saying the investment would strengthen Guyana’s education sector and help prepare young people for opportunities in a rapidly expanding economy.
However, Adams, a petroleum and environmental engineer with decades of international experience, said the scale of the initiative must be viewed within the broader financial realities of Guyana’s oil sector.
Adams noted that STEM initiatives are critical to national development and said he has long been involved in advancing such programmes. He explained that he previously sponsored, established and managed a major STEM programme for ten United States universities that served as a pipeline for future talent within the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE). Adams also served as the University of Guyana’s Distinguished Engineer in Residence, where he helped restructure the Engineering and Technology Faculty.
“As someone who was responsible for sponsoring, establishing and managing a major STEM program for 10 US Universities as the pipeline for the US Department of Energy (USDOE) future talent, and someone who served as the University of Guyana Distinguished Engineer in Residence to help restructure the Engineering & Technology Faculty, STEM initiatives are near and dear to my heart and passionately welcomed,” Adams wrote.
“However, such a crucial program must be facilitated with a high degree of competence and seriousness including it being amongst the highest priorities in the national budget, rather than by the willy-nilly exploits bared in this Exxon gift,” he added.
In his letter, Adams also praised columnist GHK Lall and members of the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN) for examining the broader context of the Exxon announcement. Referencing Lall’s March 3, 2026 column, Adams cited the description of the initiative as Exxon “TAKING A MINOR FRACTION OF THE MONEY THAT IT SEIZED FROM GUYANA AND GIVING IT BACK TO THE STEM CHILDREN AS A PERFECTLY STREAMLINED, WELL-PUBLICIZED GIFT. Billions taken out; millions given back. It’s a nice racket.”
Adams also pointed to concerns previously raised by the Oil and Gas Governance Network regarding Guyana’s oil fiscal arrangements. According to OGGN, the Government of Guyana pays the oil companies’ taxes from its share of oil revenues, after which tax certificates are issued to Exxon. These receipts can then be used in other jurisdictions to obtain tax concessions.
He noted that Exxon was issued a receipt for US$1.24 billion in taxes for 2024, despite the taxes being paid by the government. As oil production expands in the coming years, Adams said these amounts are expected to increase significantly.
According to Adams, the US$10 million annual STEM contribution amounts to less than one percent of the US$1.24 billion in taxes paid by the government on Exxon’s behalf.
“OGGN pointed out that the US $10 MM per year Exxon gives back, is a paltry less than 1% of the 2024 US $1.24 B of free money they received from the Govt,” Adams stated.
Adams further highlighted the scale of potential earnings from Guyana’s oil reserves. Using what he described as conservative estimates of 11.6 billion barrels of recoverable oil, and assuming Exxon’s profit share remains at 12.5 percent, Adams said the company could earn approximately US$110 billion in profits.
“In other words, even if one gets caught up believing the façade that the STEM gift comes out of Exxon’s pockets, that money will only account for far less than 1% of its profits,” Adams wrote.
Throughout his career, Adams has been known for advocating stronger oversight of the oil sector and greater accountability for multinational oil companies operating in Guyana. During his tenure as EPA head, he pushed for stronger environmental safeguards and financial protections for the country.
In the letter, Adams argued that if Exxon genuinely cared about Guyana and its young people, it would support broader reforms within the sector.
Among the measures he listed were renegotiating the oil contract to secure a fairer share for Guyana, implementing ring-fencing provisions to increase government revenue, and agreeing to a Parent Company Guarantee to cover potential oil spill costs.
He also raised concerns about environmental practices in offshore operations, including gas flaring, produced water disposal and the potential impacts on Guyana’s fishing industry.
Despite welcoming investment in education, Adams warned that such initiatives should not distract from what he described as unresolved issues within Guyana’s oil industry.
“Fortunately, Guyanese are savvy enough to not fall for Exxon’s masterminds’ calculatingly flashing a veneer of tender, loving care for Guyana’s youth, at no financial cost while yielding lucrative returns of quietude and distraction from the many atrocities committed against the Guyanese people,” he wrote.
Adams concluded by reiterating the need for stronger accountability and policy reforms to ensure that Guyana’s oil wealth benefits its citizens more equitably.
