NEITI

Abuja, Jan. 27, 2024: The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) says it will unveil its 2022/2023 reports on oil, gas and solid minerals industries on Sept. 24.

Executive Secretary, NEITI, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, said this at the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) media briefing on Friday in Abuja.

He said NEITI focused more on content and that the two separate reports would be presented simultaneously to ensure current and globally acknowledged reliable data.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the international partner, EITI is on a mission to Nigeria to assess NEITI’s post validation plans and how to support the EITI implementation in Nigeria.

The international delegation was led by Dr Bady Balde, Deputy Executive Director, Global EITI Secretariat.

Orji said some local challenges, including time of resettlement affected the production of the reports, adding that the challenges had been sorted out and by September the reports would be published.

He said it received the delegation of its international partners, following the performance of Nigeria in the last EITI validation that was conducted, adding that the visit would feature knowledge sharing and capacity building, among others.

“Validation is a global assessment that holds all implementing countries to the same standard and Nigeria scored 72 per cent, excelled and recorded over 90 per cent in quality and reliability of data.

“Their visit is timely because we are trying to align our operations and mandates to the priorities and strategic development goals of the renewed hope agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration,” he said.

The executive secretary said the organisation also had engagement with the National Assembly on the review of the NEITI Act and received assurances that it would be taken seriously.

He said the idea was to align the NEITI Act with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA 2021) and the current economic realities of the government, which was focussing more on revenue.

“We have done an in-house review of that Act and are seeking legal opinion. Consultants are working on it, while we are working with the national assembly to see how to help us,” he said.

He said his management had looked at the EITI 23 standard agreed upon in Senegal and emerging issues in the global EITI, which included energy transition, contract transparency and beneficial ownership.

According to him, the issues also include open and accessible data, climate change and gender inclusiveness, environment and a number of areas where the law is deficient.

“We also want to see what could be done to make NEITI less dependent on government for funding.

“Also to see if there are windows where our reports which usually lead to recovery of huge revenue could aid in giving some soft landing in terms of supporting government for funding instead of relying wholly on government,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Balde had expressed dissatisfaction with the publication of old data, adding that timeliness of data was necessary to cover current relevant issues.

Balde said data publishing should not be delayed, adding that many countries had gone far in producing data in the public domain including Senegal, Zambia, Norway, among others.

Balde, while describing NEITI as the largest secretariat by staff in the world with twice the number of staff at its headquarters, called for more technical assistance, engagement and timely data publication to avoid speculation.

He urged the internal governance of NEITI to sustain its principle and uphold values by practicing what it preached and maintain highest level of transparency and credibility.

He supported the amendment of NEITI’s act to address the imperfections of the law.

Abuja, Nov. 3, 2023: The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has expressed readiness to collaborate with international community towards advancing oil, gas and mining sectors.

The Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, stated this at a meeting in Abuja with prominent diplomatic missions in Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement by Mrs Obiageli Onuorah, Deputy Director/Head Communication and Stakeholders’ Management, on Thursday in Abuja.

The diplomatic missions include the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Nigeria, Mr Pieter Leenknegt; the High Commissioner of Canada, Mr James Christoff, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Australian High Commission, Ms Leann Johnston.

Orji expressed NEITI’s willingness in offering technical assistance, pursuing governance reforms and deepening its involvement in Nigeria’s oil, gas, and mining sectors.

He reaffirmed its commitment towards tackling obstacles through working with relevant ministries to open and reposition the solid minerals sector to the public engagement and debate required to implement ground-breaking reforms.

Orji described NEITI’s international affiliations, civil society partnerships and government ownership as major strengths, adding that it would prioritise the solid minerals industry, which contributes less than one per cent to the nation’s GDP.

He expressed delight in the renewed interest and support from the Belgian, Canadian and Australian embassies.

The statement also quoted the Ambassadors as saying that they closely followed NEITI’s reports and activities in the extractive sector with keen interest, and noted Nigeria’s commitment to implementing the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Nigeria, Mr Pieter Leenknegt commended the quality and depth of NEITI’s recently released 2021 Oil, Gas, and Solid Minerals Industry Reports.

Leenknegt lauded the ground-breaking disclosures on outstanding remittances to shore up government revenue, the incisive findings and recommendations, and NEITI’s overall courage in public disclosures to enhance transparency and accountability in the sector.

The Belgian envoy pledged his country’s support to NEITI with a focus on capacity building to expand its operations into the Solid Minerals sector in a manner that attracts investors, especially from Belgium.

Similarly; the High Commissioner of Canada, Mr James Christoff, welcomed Nigeria’s implementation of the EITI and identified the Solid Minerals sector as an area of special interest to Canada.

He emphasised that collaborating with a reputable agency like NEITI would provide his mission with reliable information and data to assist potential Canadian investors in making informed business decisions.

Christoff said that as a supporting country to the global EITI, the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria was willing to partner directly with NEITI in the areas of information and data sharing, training, capacity building, and providing technical support.

He expressed his contentment with NEITI’s close collaboration with Civil Society Organisations and the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in combating illegal mining activities through policy reforms and coordination.

On his part, the Australian High Commission Chargé d’Affaires, Ms Leann Johnston, welcomed Nigeria’s new policy on economic diversification and expressed confidence in NEITI to support this initiative with reliable information and data in the Extractive Industries.

Established in 2004, NEITI is the key anti-corruption agency at the Presidency responsible for enthroning transparency, accountability and good governance of the country’s oil, gas and mining industries.

NEITI is a member of the global extractive industries transparency initiative (EITI) being implemented in 57 countries with International Headquarters in Oslo, Norway.

Abuja, Oct. 7, 2023: The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has called on the Federal Government to urgently respond to the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI’s) recent 2021 oil and gas industry audit report expose.

CISLAC’s Executive Director, Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, who made the call in a statement on Friday in Abuja, described the content of the report as “troubling revelations”.

According to him, the report has uncovered critical issues within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector that demand prompt attention to ensure transparency, accountability, and optimal national development.

Rafsanjani, who also  heads Transparency International Nigeria Chapter, emphasised that the report highlighted a decline in Nigeria’s ranking and score in the Transparency International (TI) 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index.

According to him, this  underscores recurring concerns regarding the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s oversight of the nation’s shared assets.

“The audit findings reveal alarming losses in crude oil due to theft, sabotage, and measurement errors, along with significant expenditures on PMS subsidies and quasi-fiscal items.

“Moreover, the report sheds light on unremitted or under-remitted federation revenues, misapplication of the 13 per cent derivation principle, issues related to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), sector governance.

“It also  concerns regarding crude oil and gas barter arrangements.

“CISLAC is calling for immediate action, utilising the legal and regulatory framework provided by the PIA to mobilise civil society for advocacy, public debates, and vigilant monitoring of sector reforms, ” he said.

Rafsanjani  said that the  organisation advocated for the simplification and widespread dissemination of the report’s key findings to enhance public awareness and drive demand for transparency and accountability.

“Furthermore, the non-profit legislative advocacy is urging the strengthening of the capacity of extractive-focused civic actors concerning essential strategies and sector-specific issues within the PIA.

“This encompasses beneficial ownership, contract transparency, audit remediation, and metering. “

Rafsanjani said that  the organisation emphasised the critical importance of tracking and following up on remediation and host community development.

He said that in alignment with the PIA, CISLAC  also advocated for improved data management processes within government agencies reporting and conducting transactions in the sector.

He said that the  organisation also called for a thorough investigation and audit into subsidy payments, project eagle loans, and other loan arrangements in exchange for the nation’s crude oil and gas.

“CISLAC, the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International (TI), is urging the National Assembly to provide effective oversight of the implementation of the extractive sector legal framework and take serious action on NEITI audit report recommendations,” he said.

Rafsanjani   further urged the Nigerian government to investigate and hold public officials accountable for accepting nearly 80 million dollars in bribes from Glencore, a multinational mining and commodity trading company.

He said that in spite of  Glencore facing repercussions for bribery, public officials on the receiving end had not faced any consequences.

He said in like manner, CISLAC had pointed to the over US$1 billion paid in bribes by Eni and Royal Dutch Shell for the rights to the OPL 245 offshore oilfield to members of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

“This questionable deal could cost Nigeria as much as US$5 billion due to poorly negotiated fiscal terms, in addition to the US$1.1 billion already lost due to corrupt payments, as outlined by the Italian prosecutors,” he said

Abuja, Sept. 16, 2023: The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has renewed the call for economic, environmental and social justice for oil, gas and mining host communities in Nigeria.

Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary, NEITI, made the call in Owerri, Imo State at the opening of the National Extractives Dialogue, organised by a Civil Society Organisation- Spaces for Change in collaboration with NEITI and the Ford Foundation.

The dialogue focused on Host Community Development Trusts (HCDT) to serve as the catalyst for equitable benefit-sharing and sustainable prosperity for all in host communities.

Orji, in a statement on Friday by Mrs Obiageli Onuorah, Deputy Director/Head Communications and Stakeholders’ Management, said a special multi-stakeholder’s approach was required for the development of host communities.

The NEITI Executive Secretary said such approach would draw national and international attention to the specific responsibilities of extractive companies, government, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), development partners and the host communities.

This, he said, would address development issues of access to education, health care,  job opportunities, environmental challenges and social infrastructure deficit in oil, gas and mining host communities.

He advised leaders of host communities drawn from the South-South and South East geo-political zones to change their advocacy approach and work with NEITI to push their complaints through peaceful consultations driven by knowledge, information, data sharing, constructive engagements and dialogue.

He explained that the 2023 annual dialogue series was to serve as a new platform for discussions and constructive debates on how citizens-centered-policy engagements would drive the implementation of HCDT established by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA 2021).

“There is the need to examine how the HCDT as enshrined in the PIA is being implemented. What is the governance structure?

“How inclusive, participatory and transparent is the process of nominating members of the Board of Trustees, Management Committees and Advisory Committees,” he said.

Orji explained that NEITI’s legitimate interest in working with Spaces for Change, a civil society organisation was in furtherance of the agency’s partnership with CSOs to deepen the implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative at the sub national levels.

He appealed to host communities in Nigeria to build trust and confidence in managing the relationship between host communities, government and the companies operating in the sector.

The Deputy Chairman, Committee on Host Communities in the House of Representatives, Abdulkarim Ahmed, called for inclusion of public education, conflict prevention, management and resolution mechanism in the implementation of HCDT Fund and pledged the support of the National Assembly.

Imo State Governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, represented by the Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Prof. Eugene Opara, expressed satisfaction with the tone and direction of the dialogue and pledged the support of the state government.

Uzodimma welcomed the clarification given on the three per cent operating cost of the oil and gas companies.

He called on relevant government agencies in the sector saddled with implementation to invest in public education and enlightenment of host communities.

The host and Executvie Director of Spaces for Change, Mrs Vicotria Ohaeri, called on the host communities to organise themselves and take full ownership of the process.

Ohaeri added that the provisions of the new legislation had moved host communities away from the era of charitable developmental assistance to a new era of entitlements and human rights.

“Host communities under the PIA provisions now have the right to benefit from natural resources.

“And these benefits are no longer acts of corporate benevolence, but entitlement to partake in the design, structure of their own development and participate in the governance and administration of the extractive resources,” she said.

The Dialogue was attended by government agencies in the oil and gas industry, civil society organisations, representatives of state governments, the media and development partners.

The Dialogue examined the structure of the fund, the need for inclusiveness in designing the governance structure, definition of roles of state governments, companies, traditional rulers, host communities and the civil society.