By Ovie Okpare
The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has launched a national multi-stakeholder platform to strengthen the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and accelerate development in oil-producing communities across the Niger Delta.
The platform, established under PIND’s CONNECT Project in partnership with the Ford Foundation, seeks to address persistent gaps in the governance of Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs), particularly in transparency, accountability, community participation and delivery of development projects.
It brings together HCDTs, host communities, state governments, regulators, civil society organisations, oil companies and other petroleum-sector stakeholders, as well as development partners, to promote coordinated action and improve development outcomes.
At the inauguration in Port Harcourt, stakeholders established the platform’s leadership structure and agreed on operational arrangements, priorities, responsibilities and timelines.
The platform will focus on practical challenges affecting HCDT governance, regulatory collaboration, transparency, community participation, climate-responsive development planning, conflict sensitivity and evidence-based decision-making.
Speaking at the event, PIND Executive Director, Mr Sam Ogbemi Daibo, said the initiative was designed to deliver measurable results rather than create another forum for discussions.
“The real test of this platform will be what happens after today, whether stakeholders follow through on agreed priorities, share evidence, resolve issues early and improve development outcomes for host communities,” Daibo said.
He added that PIND would provide secretariat and technical support, while the platform’s effectiveness would depend on the commitment, leadership and accountability of participating stakeholders.
The CONNECT Project builds on lessons from PIND’s Bridges Project and seeks to scale tested approaches to community-led development across the Niger Delta.
Its priorities include institutionalising national and state-level stakeholder platforms, strengthening engagement with government agencies and regulators, incorporating climate and environmental sustainability into Community Development Plans, and improving monitoring, evaluation and learning systems.
Prof. Obafemi Ajibola, who delivered the stakeholders’ response, said sustained collaboration was necessary to translate the host-community provisions of the PIA into stronger institutions and tangible development outcomes.
“No institution or stakeholder group can close these gaps alone. This platform gives us a shared mechanism to surface challenges, learn across sectors and agree who will do what and by when to strengthen trust, accountability and delivery,” Ajibola said.
The National Multi-Stakeholder Platform will operate through a plenary, a steering committee and time-bound technical working groups.
PIND will serve as the secretariat, coordinating engagements, documenting decisions and tracking agreed actions, while the platform’s leadership and members will drive implementation.
State-level engagements and technical reviews are expected to follow as the CONNECT Project progresses.
The initiative comes amid continuing efforts to ensure that the PIA’s provisions for host-community development translate into transparent governance, stronger community institutions and sustainable benefits for oil-producing communities across the Niger Delta.
