Introduction:

The Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group (www.nigerdeltabudget.org), with support from Oxfam, organized a one day’s Governmental Colloquium on Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) Host Communities Trust Fund at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Friday, 30th August 2024. The Colloquium was part of activities for Women in Extractive (Africa) Campaign that is aimed at ensuring women gets extractive justice across resource rich countries in Africa, including, Nigeria. The colloquium highlighted the importance of mainstreaming women into extractive frameworks, such as the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in Nigeria that encapsulated 3% host communities’ fund. As the involvement of women in the implementation of the PIA, will go a long way in achieving extractive justice as envisaged by the law. The PIA establishes the Host Communities Development Trust Fund for the benefit of extractive host communities in the Niger Delta and beyond, with 3% of operating expenditure of oil companies allocated for host communities’ development in the Act.

Participatory Scope :

Participants were drawn from government agencies, industry’s regulator, traditional institutions, academia, National Assembly, government MDAs, women groups, NDEBUMOG affiliates women shadow budget groups, NDEBUMOG’s think-tank and others.

Goodwill Messages:

Good will message was presented by the Occasion’s Chairman, His Eminence, Ntenyin (Dr) Solomon D Etuk, JP, CFR, President-General, Akwa Ibom State Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, President, Ifim Ibom Ibibio, Oku Ibom Ibibio Worldwide, Chancellor, Akwa Ibom State University and Paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubium Local Government, who was represented by His Royal Majesty, Edidem Monday Aniefiok Akpanobong, Paramount Ruler of Etinan Local Government Area. Other royal fathers in attendance were with goodwill messages were: His Royal Majesty, Edidem Raymond Timothy Inyang, FCA, Enin Akwa Afaha, Paramount Ruler of Onna Local Government Area & Pro-chancellor of Topfaith University, HRM, Owong (Prof) Effiong Bassey Achianga (JP)-Akwaba Owong Ibeno, Paramount Ruler of Ibeno Local Government Area & National Life Patron of Traditional Rulers of Oil Minerals Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON), who was represented by Chief Okon. U. Okon of Ibeno Clan Council, His Royal Highness, King J. D. Nkpe, Paramount Ruler of Alesa (Port Harcourt Refinery) Host Community, His Royal Highness, King Promise Ozinye Chika, Paramount Ruler of Rumuokwuta Clan, Apara Kingdom and Nye-weli of Okwuta, His Highness, Eze Such Ama Chinda, Eze Onumbam I of Rumuokwuta and Chairman Rumuokwuta Council of Chiefs and Elders; Pastor Otobong Peter Sambo, State Director of Planning, Ministry of Economic Development, Makan Isong Ukpong, Desk Officer, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Uwemedimo Okon of Akwa Ibom State University & Chairman, Nigerian Conservation Foundation, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, among others.

Part of the objectives of the colloquium was to advocate for gender inclusion and discussed strategies for overcoming barriers to women’s participation in the PIA’s 3% Host Communities Development Trust Funds implementation.

There were technical sessions/presentations/discussions, which brought up concerns/ observations/recommendations below:

1. Although the PIA’s 3% Host Community Fund is a new development with mixed expectations and has thrown up contentious complexities, for instance, placing the burden for protection of the oil facilities on the shoulders of host communities, which could be sabotaged to frustrate host communities from benefitting from the 3%.
2. That communities may not understand how extractive companies do their OPEX budget calculations to arrive at the amount of money they would declare and contribute to the fund as 3%. Many companies are often very secretive in calculating their operational expenses or profits. Communities have no choice but to accept whatever the companies may declare.
3. PIA favors oil companies, the settlors, with more powers given to them in the law than the host communities, where they operate, with the powers to appoint people from host communities into the trust funds given to extractive companies (section 234) etc.
4. That host communities have suffered greatly and are still suffering, as a result of extractive activities. Communities suffered from destruction of sources of livelihoods, environmental pollution and gas flaring, with effects on women, arguably, than men.
5. That there is no gender equity provisions in the PIA. Therefore, any future amendment to the law should correct this abnormally.

Recommendations/ Way Forward:

• Women should be among appointees into all the trust fund and other structures created by the PIA related to host communities trust funds. Women, privileged to be appointed, should remember plights of women in host communities, which should guide their technical and spiritual minds.
• National Assembly should take its oversight functions seriously, especially, with respect to the implementation of the 3% host communities’ fund.
• Traditional and community leaders, should be deliberate in creating roles for women throughout the PIA’s 3% structural chain and should encourage women to participate actively.
• Traditional rulers, as custodians of culture and tradition, were urged to eliminate cultural norms that hinders women participation in the affairs of communities and emplace gender equity. Women across host communities deserve equal access to host communities’ fund.
• Women should be equipped with expertise to engage PIA’s processes, with men implored not to hijack all the opportunities, without consideration for women.
• 1% of the 3% Operating Expenditure of Oil and Gas Companies, should be allocated to women empowerment across host communities development trusts, projects, programs and activities

Commendations:

Participants expressed their appreciation to NDEBUMOG and OXFAM, commending them for organizing the event. They called for more of this colloquium. Equally, NDEBUMOG thanked all royal fathers and participants for attending colloquium.

Adopted this 30th day of August, 2024 at Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State and endorsed below on behalf of all participants:

1. His Eminence, Ntenyin (Dr) Solomon D Etuk, JP, CFR, President-General, Akwa Ibom State Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers, President, Ifim Ibom Ibibio, Oku Ibom Ibibio Worldwide, Chancellor, Akwa Ibom State University and Paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubium Local Government, who was represented by His Royal Majesty, Edidem Monday Aniefiok Akpanobong, Paramount Ruler of Etinan Local Government Area.
2. His Royal Highness, King J. D. Nkpe, Paramount Ruler of Alesa Town
3. His Highness (Dr.) George-Hill Anthony, the CEO, NDEBUMOG
4. Edidiong Wilson Ekanem, Acting Team Leader, Nsit Ubium Shadow Budget Group