By Ojugbele Omotunde
A number of significant obstacles have been identified as besetting Nigeria’s extractive industry, including gender inequality, unequal compensation, and an inequitable resource allocation.
This submission was given by Ms. Beatrice Eyong, the Country Representative for ECOWAS and UN Women for Nigeria, during her Opening Remark to a Panel Session at the 12th Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI) Conference 2023, which took place in Lagos on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.
“For example, in Nigeria, women own and manage about 10% of natural resources despite the fact that Nigeria is the only country in Africa where we have a reservoir of women with qualifications, competence, and expertise, and the proof is seen at the international level, where the number two of the United Nations and the head of the World Trade Organization are both Nigerian women. So what prevents Nigeria from implementing the gender policy?” She asked.
According to Eyong, women’s participation, leadership, and compensation in Nigeria’s extractive industry are not equal due to the legal framework’s lack of gender responsiveness.
She stated that gender-based violence is another problem that the industry is facing
According to a study, gender-based violence has the potential to lower the GDP by at least 2%, or around trillions of dollars. As a result, the sector will not be effective if gender-based violence persists in communities and institutions.
“Women lead 15% of households in rural areas in the communities where extractive activities occur in Nigeria, which translates to about 30 million people, while they lead about 19% of households in urban areas, which translates to approximately 40 million people. As long as we leave those people out of development and resources, it is a time bomb waiting to explode,” she insisted.
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) CSO Lead, Dr. Mina Ogbanga, expressed disapproval of the Federal Government’s 2060 long-term aim of achieving net-zero emissions.
“You cannot talk about petroleum without talking about social justice, the people who are impacted by it, and the fact that clean energy can only be produced from bad energy,” This means that mainstreaming technology and enhancing the management and presentation of coastal wealth processing are crucial.
“Why aren’t they clearing things up and altering our procedures right away, even though they are informing us about 2060? Why can’t we make advantage of the technology that is currently at our disposal? After all, PIA is only one way we may respond to the process by claiming to be fostering sustainability and garnering support. Data on greenhouse gas emissions is separated, as is the data on issues related to social inclusion, the environment, and gender.
“How are the communities progressing, and how do you gauge the effectiveness of your actions? While PIA is working to address these issues, there is still much that needs to be done, including how to mainstream local activities and make sure they adhere to global standards. For example, we need to encourage disclosure by identifying companies and verifying their greenhouse gas emissions, separate data to encourage and acknowledge the importance of gender and social inclusion issues when discussing issues related to petroleum, and many other things that will make PIA much more functional and effective,” she stated.
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The CEO of Hybrid Group, Dapo Omolade, made the suggestion that the industry’s active participants should look for ways to alleviate the suffering of the host communities and act morally moving forward.
“To be really honest, Nigeria’s extractive industry is struggling because the communities are being neglected in the grand scheme of things. Indeed, the extractive sector has enormous economic potential, as Nigeria can attest to given that it generates more than half of our country’s income.
“From a sustainability standpoint, we ought to endeavor to make up for the mistakes we have committed. Although there are many different aspects to the difficulties, the most notable is how little knowledge there is in Nigerian culture about matters pertaining to health and safety and how they impact sustainability.
“We ought to seek evidence to bolster our current understanding of sustainability,” he proposed.
Dr. Uwem Ite, Oriental Energy Resources Limited’s Head of Community and Government Relations, discussed the value of leadership and how to do it well from the top in his response.
He stated, “As a matter of fact, for us to have a strong institution in Nigeria, we do not necessarily need a strong leader; rather, we need a leader who is pragmatic and knows what to do in the course of nation building and institution building so that our institutions can become what they ought to be,” while describing the difficulties in creating and sustaining strong institutions.
“In order to enable optimal performance and strong representations, members of the National Assembly must also sponsor bills that can improve their performance and, where necessary, amend the constitution,” he concluded.
Bekeme Masade-Olowola, Founder/Convener, SITEI/CSR-in-Action Group, emphasized the significance of an energy transition and a cleaner, more sustainable world in her opening remarks.
“The extractive industry not only creates wealth, but it also affects the environment and people’s lives, depending on the decisions made by those living in the environment.”
The Petroleum Industry Act Research of Implementation and Women’s Inclusion in Host Communities Report Launch and the Presentation of the Community and Human Right Award African, also known as the CAHR Award Africa, to deserving individuals and corporate organizations in Nigeria and throughout Africa are the highlights of the event.
Several dignitaries attended the event, including Mr. Adamu Garba, COO of the Nigerian Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC); Mr. Adewole Lawal, Senior Manager, Sustainability; and Dayo Okusami, Partner and Co-Head of the Energy and Natural Resources.
The others are Daniel Oladoja, Lead Expert in Strategic Communications; Gamawa Murjanatu, Head of Business Ethics, NNPC; and Oluwakemi Ajakaiye, Board Member, Nigeria Chapter, African Circular Economy Network (ACEN-NG).
