Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that funds allocated under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) are effectively utilised to deliver meaningful development in host communities.
The national oil company stated this during a stakeholder engagement session with the KEFFESO Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT), held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, at the weekend.
The KEFFESO HCDT is 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 NNPCL/FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P) JV.
Speaking at the session, the Chief Upstream Investment Officer of NNPCL, Engineer Seyi Omotowa, said the company was committed to ensuring that funds approved for the development of host communities under the PIA are channeled towards projects that address critical needs, such as education, healthcare and infrastructure.
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 NNPCL/FIRST E&P JV for sustaining its strategic partnership with KEFFESO HCDT.
He also urged community leaders to work together to ensure peace and stability in their communities.
Lokpobiri emphasised that without peace, companies would struggle to operate effectively, ultimately impacting the three per cent Host Community Fund approved in the PIA for development initiatives.
Also speaking at the event, Executive Commissioner, Safety, Environment, and Community, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Captain John Tonlagha, commended the institutionalisation of the community development trust initiative.
Tonlagha, who represented the Chief Executive Officer of the NUPRC, Engineer Gbenga Komolafe, described the trust initiative 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.
Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, commended the KEFFESO HCDT for its commitment to driving sustainable development through the PIA framework.
Ogbe, who was represented by the Board’s Director of Legal Services, Barr. Naboth Onyesoh, also commended the NUPRC for successfully incorporating over 100 Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) to support socio-economic growth in the region.
On his part, Managing Director of FIRST E&P, Mr. Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, commended the KEFFESO HCDT for creating a platform that encourages dialogue, collaboration and accountability
Adeyemi-Bero, represented by Mr. John Alamu, described the engagement session as a model for other host community development trusts to emulate.
The chairman, KEFFESO HCDT, His Royal Highness, Moses Theophilus, lauded the NNPCL/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, emphasising that the success of the PIA depends on strong partnerships, peace and a shared commitment to community development.
