NNPC Champions Effective Utilization of Host Community Funds to Drive
Sustainable Development in Niger Delta
CHIGOZIE AMADI
NNPC Limited has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that funds allocated
under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) are effectively utilized to deliver meaningful
development in host communities.
This pledge was made during a stakeholder engagement session held with the
KEFFESO Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT), a cluster of host
communities comprising Koluama 1 and 2, Ezetu 1 and 2, Foropa, Fish Town, Ekeni,
Sangana, Opu Okumbiri, Okumbiribeleu, and Oginibiri in Bayelsa State, under the
NNPC Limited/FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P)
JV, at the weekend.
Speaking at the engagement session which 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 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.
In his remarks, the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken
Lokpobiri, commended the NNPC LTD/FIRST E&P JV for sustaining its strategic
partnership with KEFFESO HCDT and urged community leaders to work together
to ensure peace and stability in their communities.
He emphasized 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, 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, who
was represented by Mr. John Alamu, 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.
