Oscarline Onwuemenyi
26 January 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja — Nigeria is at risk of losing its re-validation bid by the global Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, EITI, body over the long delay to publish the oil and gas as well as solid minerals reports for the year 2013.
The deadline given by the EITI to Nigeria to publish the reports elapsed since December 31, 2015.
Investigations showed that the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, NEITI, has already written to the EITI, seeking for an extension to publish the report, which the world body is considering at the moment.
NEITI has said that the report on the 2013 oil and gas and solid minerals is ready, but the absence of a board to approve them is what delays the publication.
Explaining the issues, the NEITI secretariat said the EITI is currently reviewing the validation process and modalities following the views by multi stakeholders involved in the process.
This includes the civil societies, implementing countries and the investors.
“Nigeria is not in any danger of validation by the international EITI,” NEITI said, adding that at various meetings held by the implementing countries in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire and recently, Dakar, Senegal, the implementing countries agreed to present before the EITI Board, that the validation process should be reformed to make it country specific, implementation friendly, progressive and promote country learning experiences and ownership.
It stated that, “In response to the December 31, 2015 deadline given by the EITI for Nigeria to publish these reports, NEITI has filed a request for an extension of reporting deadline. The request is receiving the needed attention by the global EITI. Again, Nigeria is not in violation of any EITI reporting deadline.”