The Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI), has made history with the completion of the first multi-million Naira Extractive Industries Data Centre, which is now set for unveiling.
NEITI’s Ag. Director/Head Communications and Stakeholder Management, Mrs. Obiageli Onuorah in a statement late on Monday said, the fully automated state of the art Centre, which is now fully completed is reputed to be the first of its kind among the 57 EITI-implementing countries.
Conceived by the immediate past National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG), also known as the NEITI Board, the incumbent, the NEITI administration has sustained the work on the project in-spite of naira-to-dollar high exchange rate volatility and escalating inflation.
Mrs. Onuorah said, the Data Centre completion was in line with implementation of the projects to institutionalize EITI in Nigeria under NEITI’s five-year Strategic Plan.
On the benefits of the Centre, she said, “apart from serving as a one-stop shop for information and data on Nigeria’s extractive sector (consisting oil, gas and solid minerals), the Centre will also serve as a reservoir for all information and data published in the various NEITI Annual Industry Reports since the first edition in 2004 till date.
“Also, the Centre will serve as a warehouse for all extractive industry data in aggregated and disaggregated formats for easy public access by multi-stakeholders, especially the civil society, the media, extractive industry companies, government agencies and the legislature.
“Besides, the Centre will also provide data information analysis, training and manpower development in data science education deployment and utilisation required to sustain a robust public knowledge and understanding of Nigeria’s extractive industry”, he said.
Mrs. Onuorah explained that the conception of the Centre, which aligns with Nigeria’s commitments to fully comply with the Open Data policy requirements under the EITI 2023 Standards, will provide backbone support for NEITI/EITI Systematic Disclosure programme, which is fast becoming the future of EITI Industry globally.
She said, the Data Center was also conceived to enhance easy access to reliable data, ensure data security, management as well as enhance dissemination engagements with the country’s extractive industry.
According to her, apart from providing evidence-led stakeholders-civic-engagement that supports public debate, the new Centre would support NEITI’s contribution and value-addition to national planning and development.
“Diverse groups that have come to invest enormous trust on NEITI’ capability and capacity to provide timely, credible information and data for informed decision-making, engagements and advocacy over the years see the data centre as a game changer and positive disruptive development”, NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, said shortly after inspecting the conclusion of work at the Center.
Dr Orji applauded President Tinubu administration for its support to ensure the completion of the project. He praised the Chairman of NEITI Board and Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume and members of the Board for their leadership.
“When the project was conceived in March 2022, NEITI developed a comprehensive project concept note and sent to the World Bank for funding consideration over a period of three years.
“NEITI’s hope of funding its execution targeted possible support from the World Bank under the Bank’s Extractives Global Programmatic Support (EGPS). However, NEITI’s hopes were dashed following the closure of the windows for such world banking support opportunities for extractive sectors governance in EITI member countries.
“We had no other choice than to approach the Federal Government under President Tinubu for funding in the 2023 and 2024 budgets respectively”. Dr Orji added.
NEITI said, coincidentally, at the point the project execution commenced, the Federal Government had approved the acquisition of a permanent office building for NEITI in furtherance of its commitment to the EITI implementation as well as to save the agency the indignity of squatting in rented accommodations for nearly 20 years.
It said, the newly acquired building for NEITI was an abandoned property that was in a terrible condition of disrepair, requiring extensive reconstruction, rehabilitation, renovation and furnishings, to make it decent enough for habitation.
However, it said, there was no provision in the NEITI 2023 budget for the installation of ICT infrastructure required to serve the entire building and to support the Data Centre, which is a critical component necessary for a modern functional data-driven agency like NEITI.
To address the problem, the agency said, the scope of the Data Centre project was expanded to provide for the basic requirements of up-to-date ICT infrastructure as a foundation to the main data centre.
“Under the expanded scope of the project, the ICT infrastructure was enhanced to provide for the following:
• NEITI Server Room for the entire building complex;
• A Control Room to power the main Data Centre;
• Provision of CCTV Cameras & allied devices for the entire building complex;
•Provision of access control for the whole offices in the building to ensure security and protection of the data centre;
• Provision of reliable internet access for the entire building;
• Conduct of a country-wide data integrity assessment of the extractive sector ahead of Nigeria’s EITI Validation, and
• The provision for the project management/consultancy and allied services”.
On project execution, the agency explained that in the 2024 NEITI budget, a provision was made to cover the implementation of specific scope of work and tasks in the main data centre project, such as the provision of servers, comprehensive land area network.
It ssid, to secure the services of qualified experts to handle the project, NEITI placed advertisement in two national newspapers and the Federal Tenders Journal of 1st May, 2023 respectively with 13th June 2023 as closing date for submission of tender. The projects were advertised as a single whole project in Phases 1 and 2.
NEITI said, the scope included the provision of servers, local land area network, switches and allied devices, visual technology displays equipment and adequate state of the art video conferencing and communication equipment.
It ssid, all these important preliminary prerequisite activities were duly achieved under the 2023 capital budget provision, with the main data centre project executed under the NEITI 2024 fiscal year.
It explicated that the decision by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to take up the funding of the project in the 2023 and 2024 budgets respectively came as a huge relief to NEITI and a bold positive statement of the administration’s commitment to the implementation of the EITI standards in Nigeria.
“It is therefore most encouraging that the different segments of the project were all achieved within the initial budget over a two-year period without any variation, despite foreign exchange volatility, galloping inflation and other general hike in price levels experienced in the economy over the period.
“With the project now completed ahead of release of 2024 capital funds by the Federal Government, NEITI is once again satisfied that its commitment to achieving much with less is once again duly met. I commend our team and the indigenous firms that handle the project for the exceptional project management initiatives, commitment, expertise and sacrifice”, Dr. Orji was quoted as saying.
On why the project missed its initial March 2024 completion deadline, NEITI attributed the delay to unforeseen circumstances beyond its control, primarily as a result of delays in the release of funds, painstaking procurement procedures, advertisements, painstaking open, competitive procurement processes etc.
Meanwhile, Civil Society Organisations working in the extractive industries have hailed the NEITI Board and management for the completion of NEITI Data Center.
The CSOs currently in Abuja for a meeting paid a sudden visit to NEITI House to inspect the Center and described what they saw as shocking and impressive given the quality of work.
The CSOs particularly commended the Executive Secretary, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji and his team at the Secretariat for a job well done while commending the new Board for its leadership.
The CSOs delegation representative on NEITI National Stakeholders Working Group, NSWG, Dr Erisa Danladi Sarki led the coalition of civil society organizations to NEITI House.
