Over six months after the dissolution of the Board of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) by President Bola Tinubu, the Board is yet to be reconstituted.
The board was part of 151 boards of the Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-owned Companies dissolved in June last year.
Following the dissolution, Parastatals without boards were directed to refer matters requiring the attention of their Boards to the President, through the Permanent Secretaries of their respective supervisory Ministries and Offices.
Permanent Secretaries were directed, also, to route such correspondences to Mr. President through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Known as the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG), the NEITI Board is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the EITI standards in Nigeria.
The group is comprised of representatives from government, companies, and civil society organizations.
Its main function is to ensure transparency and accountability in the extractive industries.
The NSWG plays a vital role in the approval of NEITI’s independent industry reports, which cover the oil, gas, and mining sectors.
It is chaired by a retired Permanent Secretary and is involved in important activities such as the reconciliation of NEITI’s reports.
The NSWG’s formation and functioning are in line with the global EITI framework, and it is an integral part of NEITI’s efforts to promote good governance in the extractive sector.
At the official launch of the 2021 NEITI Solid Minerals Sector Report in September, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji pleaded with the Federal Government to reconstitute the board, explaining that the NSWG would reposition the extractive industries in line with the international best practices.
In his response, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Dr. George Akume, assured the agency that the board would be reconstituted.
Dr. Akume disclosed that the federal government was seriously considering the NEITI’s plea for the exemption of the NSWG from subsequent Dissolution, considering its strategic importance to the extractive industries and the nation’s economy.
“I, therefore, wish to reassure all stakeholders and our global partners that the issue (exemption of NEITI Board) will be addressed, very soon,” the SGF said.
Four months after that promise, the board is yet to be constituted. Meanwhile, Tinubu has constituted new boards and management of some organizations, like NDDC, NNPCL, NAHCON, and NCPC.
