The Federal Government says that 7.68 million crude oil barrels were either stolen or lost in 2023, urging civil society organisations (CSOs) to focus on significant findings for environmental protections.
Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), said this at a CSOs Roundtable, in Abuja on Thursday, October 31, 2024.
The programme was organised by the NEITI in partnership with Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC).
Orji said that there was a 79 per cent drop in the crude oil theft in 2023 compared to 2022.
He urged the gathering to focus on the significant findings in the recently released NEITI 2022/2023 Oil and Gas Industry Reports, where several critical issues call for civil society engagement.
“CSOs should monitor the government’s strategies to combat oil theft and advocate for more robust environmental protections.
“The civil societies have a crucial role in creating forums that include government, private sectors and community groups.
“This is to ensure that the concerns of impacted communities, particularly regarding environmental and social issues are considered in national resource management policies,” he said.
Orji said that CSOs must push for improved revenue collection mechanisms to ensure full value of Nigeria’s oil resources benefits the nation.
He also urged the CSOs to use the report’s environmental data to advocate stronger protections and corporate accountability, particularly in Niger Delta.
He said the CSOs have a crucial role in ensuring that Nigeria’s wealth from natural resources were managed to benefit all citizens, not just a select few.
He said that the CSOs could identify gaps in governance, revenue management and environmental protection in analysing advocacy for policy reform.
“Their issue-based advocacy helps push for legislative reforms that address these challenges.
“A key priority is to ensure that NEITI’s reports, particularly the 2022/2023 Oil and Gas Industry Reports, are used constructively to promote public debate and policy reform.
“While NEITI publishes the reports, it is the duty of civil society to ensure that the data leads to action,” he said.
The executive secretary said that the roundtable was put together to ensure that transparency and accountability lead to tangible policy changes and public welfare improvements.
He said that the NEITI would soon complete its data centre, which would serve as a one-stop shop for extractive sector information, housing all industry reports from 1999-2004 onwards.
“This centre will facilitate public access to data and analysis, enhancing NEITI’s compliance with the EITI Open Data Protocol,” he said.
Orji called on the CSOs to collaborate actively with both urban and rural people to help them share resources and strategies to ensure the voices of all Nigerians were heard.
“The future of Nigeria’s extractive industries depends on the active engagement of civil society.
“With the 2022/2023 NEITI reports providing a roadmap, we stand at a critical juncture.
“Let us seize this opportunity to empower CSOs urban and rural alike to drive the change we seek.”
Dr Erisa Sarki, CSO Representative on the NEITI Board, said that the forum was designed to encourage open dialogue, innovative thinking and actionable steps.
Sarki said that the actionable steps aligned with NEITI’s vision of a Nigeria where extractive resources would benefit all citizens.
By Ella Anokam
