NEITI Archives - HEDA Resource Centre

HEDA Demands Transparency as Senate Probes Oil Companies Over NEITI Audit Queries

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has called for full transparency and public accountability in the Senate’s ongoing investigation into audit queries involving Seplat Energy, Network E&P Nigeria, All Grace Energy and Aradel Energy. In a statement signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the civil society organisation maintain that the call follows the decision of the Senate Public Accounts Committee to issue a 48-hour ultimatum to the companies to appear before the committee after they failed to attend an investigative hearing on audit queries contained in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 reports of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI). According to Suraju, the Senate’s investigation underscores the importance of effective oversight and transparent management of Nigeria’s natural resources, particularly in the extractive sector, where unresolved financial obligations can have significant implications for public revenue. “These companies should be given the opportunity to respond fully to the audit queries and present relevant documentation, while insisting that any established financial obligations to government must be recovered and accounted for transparently.” Suraju noted. “Public resources belong to Nigerians, and every company operating in the extractive sector has a responsibility to comply with the laws governing the payment of royalties, taxes and other statutory obligations. Where audit queries raise questions about payments due to government, these issues must be investigated openly and resolved based on verifiable evidence,” He added. Similarly, HEDA also urged the Senate Public Accounts Committee to conduct the investigation transparently and publish its findings and recommendations, including details of any outstanding liabilities established against the affected companies. The group noted that the appearance of Dubri Oil Company before the committee and its submission of documents disputing the reported $3.25 million royalty and gas-flare debt demonstrates the importance of allowing all parties to present evidence and reconcile disputed figures before conclusions are reached. HEDA therefore called on the Senate, NEITI, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and other relevant agencies to ensure that the investigation leads to concrete outcomes rather than becoming another unresolved audit matter. The organisation further urged the affected companies to cooperate fully with the Senate investigation and provide all information required to clarify the audit queries. “Nigerians deserve to know whether revenues arising from the country’s oil and gas resources have been properly assessed, collected and accounted for, and legislative oversight must ultimately translate into the protection of public revenue and stronger accountability in the extractive sector.” Suraju concluded.

August 28, 2026August 28, 2026 By heda 0

Climate change

HEDA Deepens Partnership with NEITI on Extractive Sector Transparency

As part of our sustained commitment to promoting accountability and environmental justice in Nigeria’s extractive sector, a delegation from Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, at the NEITI House in Abuja. Welcoming the HEDA team, Dr. Orji emphasized NEITI’s core mandate of fostering transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s extractive industries, stressing that active collaboration with accountability actors like HEDA is crucial to the success and credibility of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) process in Nigeria. “We see HEDA as a major stakeholder and one of the leading civil society organizations supporting NEITI’s vision of reforming the extractive sector,” Dr. Orji remarked. He commended HEDA’s consistent investigative efforts, especially in critical areas such as marginal field awards, beneficial ownership disclosures, and host community impacts. Of particular note was HEDA’s recent publication: “Marginal Fields’ Awards, Regulators’ Independence, and Environmental Justice: Paradox of Beneficial Ownership and the Host Communities.” Dr. Orji applauded the report, describing it as timely and aligned with NEITI’s mission. He acknowledged the report’s findings on corruption risks associated with the 2020/2021 marginal field awards and the ongoing concerns around transparency in beneficial ownership—issues NEITI is currently addressing. “Your work provides valuable insights and data that reinforce our advocacy and reform efforts,” Dr. Orji stated. “We look forward to deepening collaboration with HEDA to meet the expectations of the EITI process in Nigeria.” Responding, HEDA Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, described NEITI as more than a partner, calling it a strategic institution capable of transforming Nigeria’s extractive governance landscape. He reiterated HEDA’s unwavering support for NEITI’s mandate and commended the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for integrating NEITI into its monitoring framework. Mr. Suraju noted that Nigeria’s extractive sector challenges go beyond poverty—they are rooted in systemic corruption, conflict, and the failure to enforce regulatory frameworks. He affirmed HEDA’s commitment to continue playing a watchdog role while working closely with institutions like NEITI to uphold transparency, integrity, and environmental justice. This visit marks another milestone in HEDA’s efforts to forge strong institutional partnerships aimed at reforming Nigeria’s extractive industry and ensuring that natural resources truly benefit the people.

June 10, 2025June 10, 2025 By Nurudeen Salako

HEDA News

HEDA Report Exposes Oil Licensing Flaws, Weak Regulations, Environmental Injustice

As part of its effort to ensure transparency and accountability in the Nigeria’s oil licensing bidding process, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has exposed serious flaws in Nigeria’s oil licensing process, highlighting regulatory failures, financial misconduct, and environmental injustice in the Niger Delta. At the public presentation of its latest report in Ikeja, Lagos, HEDA revealed that several companies awarded marginal oil field licenses in the 2020/2021 bidding round lacked proper registration and failed to meet legal and financial requirements. The report, with the support from Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), titled “Marginal Fields’ Awards, Regulators’ Independence, and Environmental Injustice: Paradox of Beneficial Ownership and the Host Communities”, also raised concerns over the unchecked environmental damage caused by oil companies. Chairman, HEDA Resource Centre, Olanrewaju Suraju, condemned the awarding of contracts to unregistered companies, questioning the credibility of Nigeria’s oil sector regulations. “Out of approximately 38 companies, 18 are not even registered, and many have failed to file their annual returns. This is not about the supply of goods and services; we are talking about Nigeria’s main economic sector,” he said. He stressed that the failure to enforce due diligence had led to massive revenue losses for the country and called for collaboration between regulatory agencies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI). Beyond financial misconduct, Suraju warned that environmental pollution in the Niger Delta remains a pressing concern. He urged civil society, the diplomatic community, and international organisations to intervene, particularly as oil companies attempt to divest from Nigeria without fulfilling their environmental responsibilities. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji, Dr. Ogbonnaya Orji, commended HEDA’s efforts in promoting transparency and accountability, reaffirming NEITI’s commitment to ensuring responsible resource management. “Beneficial ownership transparency is not just about knowing who owns what. It is about protecting our nation’s resources from corruption, illicit financial flows, and mismanagement. Host communities must be protected, compensated, and empowered.” Book Reviewer and Lecturer, University of Lagos, Prof. Dayo Ayoade, criticised the licensing process, describing it as compromised by political influence and corruption. “The 2020/2021 marginal fields bidding round exhibited procedural abuse and corrupt practices, leading to significant financial losses. Some of the winning companies were owned or backed by politically exposed persons,” he said. Ayoade added that 11 out of the 35 surveyed companies were inactive under the CAC, while several lacked the tax clearance certificates required for eligibility under the Public Procurement Act 2007. He further warned that oil companies seeking to exit Nigeria must first be held accountable for their environmental damage. “Before these companies are allowed to exit, they must remediate the damage done, pay compensation, and fulfill their decommissioning responsibilities.” You can download the report here

March 14, 2025 By Nurudeen Salako