NEITI - CSO ROUND TABLE MEETING 2013

ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE NEITI PROCESS

 

Meeting held today 16th December, 2013 @ Crystal Palace Hotel Area 11, Abuja

for more information please visit Neiti website: www.neiti.org.ng

 D'ADVERTISER'S

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) is mandated by law to promote transparency and accountability in the management of Nigeria’s oil, gas and mining revenues. A major component of the on-going anti-corruption reform in Nigeria, it is the national version of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which is a global movement aimed at ensuring that extractive resources aid sustainable development.

NEITI was inaugurated in February 2004 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo when he set up the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) under the leadership of Mrs Obiageli Ezekwesili.

The NSWG oversees the activities of NEITI and is made up representatives of government, extractive companies and civil society. Among others, NEITI commissioned the first comprehensive audit of Nigeria’s petroleum industry for the period 1999 to 2004 and is working with various stakeholders to build national consensus on the need for extractive revenue transparency in Nigeria.

To give legal backing to the work of NEITI, a bill was introduced to the National Assembly in December 2004. The NEITI Bill was eventually passed and harmonized by the two chambers of the National Assembly and subsequently signed into law by former President Obasanjo on May 28, 2007. With this, Nigeria became the first EITI-implementing country with a statutory backing for its operations.

MANDATE

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Act 2007 mandates NEITI to promote due process and transparency in extractive revenues paid to and received by government as well ensure transparency and accountability in the application of extractive revenues.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

Since 2004, NEITI has engaged in various activities in pursuit of its mandate. The major activities include the following:

• Commissioning of the Financial, Physical and Process Audits of Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry for the period 1999 to 2004. This was the first comprehensive audit of this strategic industry since Nigeria struck oil in 1956;
• Communicating the findings of the audit in a comprehensive and comprehensible manner to various stakeholders;
• Working with government agencies and other stakeholders to remedy the lapses identified by the audit;
• Building the capacity of civil society organizations, government officials, parliamentarians and the media to understand and monitor extractive revenue transparency in Nigeria;
• Forging a national consensus on need for extractive revenue transparency in Nigeria through outreach and advocacy activities such as road-shows, consultative forums and town-hall meetings.

Civil Society Organization (CSO)

 Civil Society Organization (CSO) plays an important role in the implementation of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI)

General Roles:

• Identification
• Agenda Setting
• Public Education & Enlightenment
• Agents of Change & social Mobilisation
• Monitoring & Oversight
• Advisory
• Whistle Blowing