The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to deepen implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) by NEITI.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Sen. George Akume made the commitment Tuesday in Abuja, while receiving a delegation from the global EITI, in Oslo, Norway on working mission to Nigeria.
The SGF praised Nigeria’s performance in the recent EITI assessment of progress recorded by the country in the implementation of the Initiative between 2019-2022.
“NEITI is an agency of the Federal Government and the present administration is very proud of its impacts, in providing reliable information & data that have helped tremendously in shaping the ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s oil, gas and mining sectors.
We have also found NEITI reports to be very useful in the areas of revenue generation, resource mobilization, blocking leakages in the system and a dependable data resource in the country’s sustained war against corruption.
According to Sen. Akume: I want to acknowledge the Report of the EITI Validation of Nigeria and to assure you that the Federal government is already working on the report. From our preliminary reviews, we have noted with excitement the many areas that Nigeria excelled in that report and the areas that our country requires improvements.
The government is fully aware that we were assessed on three major indicators- Outcomes/Impacts, Transparency as well as Stakeholders Engagements”.
The SGF remarked that he was elated that Nigeria excelled on outcomes and impacts with a score of 92%, over 70% on Transparency disclosures which shows that Nigeria is benefiting enormously from the implementation of the EITI, but require more work and improvements in the areas of Stakeholders Engagements where Nigeria scored above 50%.
He applauded the EITI for courageously highlighting specific areas where the country needed to correct and improve upon before the next validation which will take place in January 2026.
The SGF further stated that Nigeria through NEITI is working assiduously to provide action plans that will remedy the gaps identified by the validation report before January 2026 the stipulated time given to Nigeria to address noticeable areas of improvement in the oil, gas and mining industry sector reforms.
“On the corrective measures, you have highlighted, please let me give you the assurance, that we will pay priority attention to the identified areas of weaknesses. I have directed the Executive Secretary of NEITI to come up immediately with a comprehensive plan of action to address all the corrective actions highlighted in the report to be implemented as part of ongoing extractive industry reforms.
On our part, the Federal Government of Nigeria will provide all the necessary support to enable NEITI and indeed Nigeria, deepen EITI implementation because our country needs it most”. Sen. Akume assured.
One area where government assured the delegation of its urgent action is in the reconstitution of the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) and preservation of NEITI governance structure from political interference. The SGF reassured the delegation NEITI will be supported to facilitate and ensure robust consultations and decision making leading to the implementation of the NEITI mandate and the EITI Standards.
“In this direction, I wish to announce to you that the Federal Government will constitute the NEITI National Stakeholders Working Group without further delay. In constituting the NEITI Board, we will take into consideration, the peculiar nature of NEITI operations, the EITI Standards and ensure that the quality of its membership reflects the expectations of the global EITI”. The SGF noted.
Earlier, the delegation held a media briefing at the NEITI House where the leader of the delegation, the Deputy Head, EITI Secretariat Mr. Bady Balde intimated the media on the objectives of the visit.
Mr. Balde explained that the Team is in Nigeria to communicate to stakeholders as well as the Nigerian government, the outcome of the last validation exercise for Nigeria and proffer support for post-validation planning. “We are also here to strengthen the country’s call working with NEITI for the reconstitution of the MSG and to appeal to the government that the disruption of the NEITI structure and the Secretariat will always not augur well for continuity, institutionalisation and sustainability”. The Deputy Head highlighted.
He lamented that: ‘’The NEITI Act 2007 establishes an independent entity that is supposed to function in a multi-stakeholder nature and supervise EITI implementation in the country. Unfortunately, that entity has not functioned as intended in the last 2 years due to the vacancy and sustained vacancy of the NSWG itself which is supposed to oversee the EITI in Nigeria. We hope that at the end of the mission we would have a clearer sense of timeline and the process on how quickly the NSWG can be reconstituted. This is a significant area of concern because NSWG is at the core of the EITI process”. Mr. Balde reaffirmed.
Furthermore, Mr. Balde stressed that the mission will give support to the implementation of the Open Extractives- a program of the EITI designed to advance the use of data and beneficial ownership disclosures and strengthen stakeholders’ engagement.
The delegation later met with the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake and representatives of the Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mrs. Grace Ogbonna, who is the Director of Research and Economic Planning in the Ministry. The two Ministers pledged more institutional support for NEITI interventions in the extractive sector reforms in the areas of contract disclosures and anti-corruption principles to block leakages, increase revenue generation for the benefit of the citizens.
The Team will depart Abuja on Friday after meeting with the companies, civil society actors, relevant Committees of the National Assembly and government agencies.
OBIAGELI ONUORAH (MRS)
Deputy Director/Head Communications & Stakeholders Management