Nigeria faces EITI audit next week

A team of validators from the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Oslo, Norway is due in Nigeria next week to carry out a validation process on the country’s implementation and adherence to the principles of the global body.

Nigeria voluntarily signed up to implement the EITI in 2003, began implementation in 2004 and became the first country to support the process with a specific law in 2007.

The validation process in Nigeria will review NEITI activities, government commitment and how NEITI reports have influenced reforms in the oil, gas and mining sectors.

Member countries under validation may either be rated as making “no progress”, “inadequate progress”, “meaningful progress”, “satisfactory progress” or “beyond progress”, depending on their level of progress in the EITI implementation.

Spokesman of the agency Orji Ogbonnaya Orji said NEITI has published two recent reports in the oil and gas as well as solid minerals for the period 2013 as part of measures to put the country in good standing.

“It has also commenced the 2014 reports and procurement process to kick-start the 2015 reports in the sector. Wide dissemination of the various reports has been on-going,” he said in a statement.