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From Uche Usim, Abuja
Accolades came the way of Nigeria on Thursday as it scored 72 per cent in the final global assessment of the implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in the country.
EITI member countries commit to disclose information along the extractive industry value chain – from how extraction rights are awarded, to how revenues make their way through government and how they benefit the public.
The result of the assessment was announced by the International Board of the EITI at its 58th board meeting coordinated from the international headquarters in Oslo, Norway and presided over by Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Nigeria scored 90 points on data integrity, comprehensiveness of report, outcomes and impacts, contribution to economic growth and adherence to legal frameworks before finishing with an overall score of 72 per cent.
The assessment window covers 11 months and Nigeria was assessed on three major thematic areas of transparency, stakeholders’ engagement and outcomes and impacts.
In the three major areas, Nigeria recorded her highest score of 92 points on outcomes and impacts, 71.5 points on implementing transparency driven reforms in the extractive industry and 52.5points on stakeholders’ engagements.
In arriving at the decision for Nigeria’s rating of 72 points over 100, the Board particularly noted NEITI’s effective implementation of EITI in the country with “Visible and tangible impacts on extractive industry governance”.
The international board noted that the score of 92 points recorded in the area of outcomes and impacts reflected what the global EITI calls “NEITI’s robust system for developing work plans for implementation, monitoring and evaluation, dissemination and outreach.
The 20-member board chaired by the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark applauded the impact of NEITI in leading extractive industry reforms and governance in the oil, gas and mining sectors.
The board added that data integrity and access as contained in NEITI’s reports also recorded 90 points which reflected that information and data from NEITI reports are globally acknowledged to be comprehensive.
Reacting to the global assessment report, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji said that “As an agency, NEITI expected a higher overall score for Nigeria given government’s support, stakeholders’ collaboration, the quantum and quality of work that NEITI has put in on behalf of the federal government in the past two years. Our expectation was an overall minimum score of 90 points in all the three major indicators”.
He, however, stated that “NEITI is happy that Nigeria recorded her highest score of 90 points in the area of quality, openness and integrity of data, outcomes and impacts in the NEITI report”.
The Executive Secretary added that NEITI remains fully committed to outcomes and impacts that translates to visible results that shape the ongoing reforms which will guarantee more revenues for government through the blocking of leakages to improve the lives of Nigerians.
Dr. Orji further remarked that the global EITI’s endorsement of Nigeria’s comprehensiveness and data integrity is very important for the work it is doing in Nigeria, given the importance of credible information and data to support planning and national development.
NEITI is equally delighted with the score of 90 points recorded on contribution to economic growth and development as this points to the fact that the agency’s work has been impactful and aligns to the national priorities of the government.
The ES promised that “NEITI, working more closely with the government, civil society and extractive companies is fully set to mobilise more work towards addressing the areas that need improvement as clearly highlighted in the report. These include deepening engagements with government, companies, civil society and the citizens.
Other areas for improvement are priority attention to the development of the solid minerals sector, expanding beneficial ownership disclosures and all other emerging issues in the extractive sector as outlined in the EITI Board assessment for improvement.
The Executive Secretary however, expressed regrets that the absence of the National Stakeholder Working Group (NSWG) as required by the EITI Standard to provide oversight adversely affected Nigeria’s overall performance in the international assessment.
Orji, therefore, renewed the agency’s and stakeholders’ calls for the urgency to reconstitute the NSWG affected by the recent dissolution of all Boards of MDAs in Nigeria.
The global EITI has scheduled the 1 January 2026 for its next global assessment of Nigeria, during which it expects that all corrective actions should have been strengthened.
