Buhari appoints Banwo as CSO rep on NEITI board

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Mr. Kolawole Banwo of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) as the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) representative on the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

The President had last February constituted the 14-member NEITI Board with Mr. Waziri Onibiyo Adio, a Communication Consultant as the new executive secretary.

The Board of Trustees (BoT) of CISLAC said in a statement last night and signed by its Legal Director Adesina Oke that the appointment of Banwo, who is a Senior Programme Officer (Extractives) with CISLAC was made in line with provisions of the NEITI Act 2007 and that his appointment which took effect from 19th February 2016 runs for four years.

“As the main overseer of CISLAC’s extractive work, Mr. Banwo, who has led the organization’s campaign and advocacy for strengthening the implementation of the EITI process at sub-national and national levels in Nigeria and across the West African sub-region, has the requisite knowledge and network of support and collaboration with civil society to deliver on his assignment,” Oke said.

While expressing appreciation to President Buhari and assured that Banwo will give his best representing the CSOs on the NSWG of NEITI, he promised that the Board will provide him with the required support to deliver on his national assignment.