The federal government said it is aggressively pursuing a number of initiatives to address the crisis and development issues in the Niger Delta region.
Speaking at the ongoing 7th Sustainability in the Extractive Industry (SITEI) conference in Abuja the minister of state for petroleum resources Dr. Ibe Kachikwu said the government was deploying the Niger Delta Development Compact, which is a scheme intended to attract multi-billion dollar investments that will address the development and security issues in the region.
This is even as the Founder of CSR-In-Action and Convener of SITEI, Mrs. Bekeme Masade appealed to the federal government and other concerned parties to expedite action on the Ogoni clean-up project.
The SITEI Conference organized by CSR-In-Action brings together every year, key stakeholders to discuss critical issues in the extractive industry.
The minister who was represented by the Director for Oil Services in the ministry Dr. Isah Baba, said the government was also pursuing regular engagements with the Niger Delta stakeholders, implementing the modular refinery initiative and community-based Pipeline Protection Framework as well as executing the Nigerian Gas Flare Commercialization Program.
The minister who spoke on the theme "Managing Conflict and Security in the Extractive Industries," said, “ Stabilizing the Niger Delta region is one of the seven key focus areas in our Industry roadmap.”
Speaking earlier, the Founder of CSR-In-Action and Convener of SITEI, Mrs. Bekeme Masade said that slowing action on the Ogoni clean-up project was another potential trigger of violence if not attended to in earnest.
She disclosed that one of the major cause of conflict in the extractive sector was the failure to build a viable structure and procedure for host community engagement and benefit sharing.
According to her, research had proven that order is best kept when host communities are closely consulted and where agreements are properly documented, and all parties held accountable through a transparent process with adequate checks and balances.
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