The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, provided an update on Nigeria’s progress in implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) during a press briefing held at the NEITI House earlier today.
During the briefing, Dr. Orji expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the reconstitution of the NEITI National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG). He highlighted the significance of Nigeria’s commitment to EITI, particularly with the appointment of His Excellency, Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, as Chairman of the NSWG.
Dr. Orji addressed the ongoing independent process by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to select a representative on the Board, stating NEITI’s observance of the process with keen interest. He expressed confidence that once the selection process concludes, a representative will emerge and be seamlessly integrated into the Board.
In response to concerns raised in the validation report on Nigeria, Dr. Orji disclosed that NEITI has developed a corrective action plan to enhance the country’s adherence to the EITI Standard. Notably, Nigeria underwent a validation process by the EITI the previous year.
Furthermore, Dr. Orji announced NEITI’s commencement of the 2022 and 2023 industry reports for the oil, gas, and mining sectors. The undertaking is led by two distinct Independent Administrators: Haruna Yahaya for the Solid Minerals report and Adeshile Adedeji & Co for the oil and gas report. The targeted completion date for these reports is September 2024.
The press briefing underscored NEITI’s dedication to transparency and accountability within Nigeria’s extractive industries, with Dr. Orji emphasizing the organization’s commitment to fostering constructive collaboration among government agencies, extractive companies, civil society, and the media.
