By Christie U. Omonigho
The NNPC Limited has restated its commitment to ensuring that funds allocated under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) for development purposes in the host communities of the Niger Delta were effectively utilized, Spokesman of NNPCL, Olufemi Soneye has said in a twit.
This pledge according to him was made during a stakeholder engagement session held with the KEFFESO Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT), a cluster he said, of host communities comprising, according to Olufemi, Koluama 1 and 2, Ezetu 1 and 2, Foropa, Fish Town, Ekeni, Sangana, Opu Okumbiri, Okumbiribeleu, and Oginibiri – all in Bayelsa State, under the NNPC Limited/FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P) JV, during the weekend.
Speaking at the engagement session which Femi said held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPC Limited, Engr. Seyi Omotowa, said NNPC Ltd was committed to ensuring that funds approved for the development of host communities under the PIA are channelled towards projects that address critical needs such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Engr. Omotowa who according to Femi was represented by the Deputy Manager, External Relations, NUIMS, Mrs. Edith Lawson, stressed that collaboration between stakeholders was essential to achieving lasting socio-economic development.
The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, in his own remarks according to Oufemi, commended the NNPC LTD/FIRST E&P JV for sustaining its strategic partnership with KEFFESO HCDT while urging community leaders to work together to ensure peace and stability in their communities.
Emphasizing that without peace, companies would struggle to operate effectively, “ultimately impacting the 3% Host Community Fund approved in the PIA for development initiatives”.
Also speaking at the event, the Executive Commissioner, Safety, Environment, and Community, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Captain John Tonlagha, who represented the Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, commended the institutionalization of the community development trust initiative, describing it as a defining moment in Nigeria’s petroleum sector with the introduction of the much-needed governance, transparency, and accountability in community development efforts.
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, who was represented by the Board’s Director of Legal Services, Barr. Naboth Onyesoh according to Olufemi’s statement, also commended the KEFFESO HCDT for its commitment to driving sustainable development through the PIA framework and the NUPRC for successfully incorporating over 100 Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) to support socio-economic growth in the region.
On his part, the Managing Director of FIRST E&P, Mr. Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, with Mr. John Alamu standing in for him, has equally commended the KEFFESO HCDT for creating a platform that encourages dialogue, collaboration, and accountability, describing it as a model for other host community development trusts to emulate.
The Chairman of the KEFFESO HCDT, His Royal Highness, Moses Theophilus, lauded the NNPC Limited/FIRST E&P JV for its proactive steps in ensuring that the KEFFESO communities benefit significantly from the PIA framework.
The forum concluded with a collective call for sustained collaboration, emphasizing that the success of the PIA depends on strong partnerships, peace, and a shared commitment to community development.