"PROMOTING SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS POLICIES IN NIGERIA'S EXTRACTIVE SECTOR, A PANACEA TO NIGERIA'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT".

The Nigeria's extractive sector has contributed immensely to the economic development and the gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria for over five decades. All over Nigeria, in different geographical zones, states and local communities in Nigeria abound one or more valuable natural resources and solid minerals, some fully untapped. These rich natural resources has been the economic mainstay of Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings for now.

Extractive industries include mining and mineral sectors, natural gas and oil exploration, petroleum refineries, dredging and quarrying for construction resources such as sand, stone and gravel and other natural materials that are obtained by excavation, drilling, boring, or other methods. Nigeria is world's 12th largest producer of oil and the largest in Africa. It also holds the largest natural gas reserves on the continent. The oil and gas sector plays a significant role in the Nigeria's economy, contributing about 65% of government revenue and over 85% of total exports. Nigeria also has a largely underdeveloped mining sector, which makes up less than 1% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

The economic contribution of the extractive industries in Nigeria accounted for 54.4% to the government revenues, 75.5% to exports, 8.6% gross domestic product (GDP) and 0.01% to employment. (Source: Nigeria 2020 EITI report - mining). The Nigeria's extractive sector has been bedeviled with corruption, lack of transparency and accountability, sharp practices and poor regulations which has slow down the pace of development in the sector. Nigeria's oil, gas and mining sectors lack transparency and accountability according to the Nigeria extractive industries transparency initiative (NEITI) citing that the sector is characterized by poor governance which is currently a national concern. Transparency and accountability remain the basis of a sound and robust corporate governance regime. 

In August 2021, Nigeria enacted the Petroleum lndustry Act (PIA), thereby introducing new arrangements for the governance, administration and management of the sector, including stronger oversight of host communities. This bill aims at promoting social safeguards policies to prevent and mitigate undue harm to people and their environment in the development process to compensate affected people and restore livelihoods to at least the level of prior to development intervention. Resource extraction from extractive industries are responsible for half of world's carbon emission, pollution and more than 80% of biodiversity loss. The extractive sector contributes to air, water and land pollution, toxic wastes and has caused significant water pollution. One of the key elements of promoting social safeguards policies in the Nigeria's extractive sector is adopting the open contracting and licensing in extractive industry. The extractive industry in Nigeria is characterized by illegal activities ranging from contract racketeering, kickbacks, to illegal mining in Northern Nigeria, oil bunkering and illegal modular refineries in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Open contracting and licensing in extractives - this commitment aims to enhance access to information on extractive sector revenue and production, including contracts, licenses, permits, and revenue streams. If fully implemented, this commitment could have a moderate impact on increasing the transparency of Nigeria's extractive sector, which accounts for 15% of the national gross domestic product (GDP) and more than 90% of exports. This commitment's greatest expected impact is the full disclosure of contractual information on a free online portal. Contracts have not been easily accessible, available online, or up to date. This has undermined the capacity to ensure companies compliance with disclosure regulations.

According to the National Resource Governance lnstitute, if fully implemented, this commitment has the potential to significantly increase public scrutiny of petroleum contracts and licenses. Under this commitment, the timely public disclosure by Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of the annual report and audited financials would also represent an important development because NNPC does not currently release audited financial statements, although it has published monthly financial and operations reports for more than three years. The National Assembly and the office of the Auditor - General of the federation have also pointed out that NNPC has not published complete financial information. Public access to NNPC's audited book of accounts, finances, cost of operations, significant spending on non-commercial activities, notable earnings by subsidiaries, and sales level data on the state's gas, and refined product sales represents an important opportunity for public oversight. Hence, promoting these social safeguards policies in Nigeria's extractive sector is key and a panacea for Nigeria's economic development.

#ExtractiveSector #NigeriaExtractiveSector #NaturalResources #SolidMinerals #Petroleum #OilAndGas #Sand #Gravel #Stone #Dredging #Quarrying #Mining #NEITI #EITI

 BRIEF PERSONAL PROFILE OF ENOBONG EKWERE - SOCIAL ACTIVIST/ DEVELOPMENT EXPERT IN NIGERIA.

Comrade Enobong Ekwere is a social influencer, blogger, vlogger, environmental/ human rights activist, peace practitioner, grassroot social mobilizer, SDGs advocate and a global citizen. Enobong Ekwere also have vast knowledge and professional expertise in copy writing, content creation, online and offline media campaigning. He is the program manager of children and young people living for peace (CYPLP), an organic, volunteer of experts, youth focused and a think-tank non-governmental organization based in Kaduna state, Nigeria. A Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate of Public Administration (Upper Credit) from the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria. Enobong Ekwere holds a proficiency certificate in management from the Nigerian Institute of Management, Chartered (NIM) Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a graduate member of the institute (Associate member in view). He works with young people in local communities across Nigeria localizing the sustainable development goals (SDGs)  (SDG16+ SDG4 and SDG5 in particular) and positive peace frameworks in Nigeria, accelerating action online and offline, engaging duty bearers and policy makers to be accountable for it's implementation by 2030. He is a strong advocate of peace, good governance and democracy, accountability in government, freedom of information, freedom of expression, access to information, free press, social justice and social inclusion. As a youth advocate and a global leader who loves to see social reforms in the society, he uses his personalized blog to write compelling stories on developmental and topical issues on national and global concern that shapes and transform people's lives and impact the larger society for knowledge transfer and lifelong learning. He engages in community service and volunteerism, community outreach, social mobilization and advocacy tours to hard to reach local communities in Nigeria advocating and advancing the cause of the SDGs (SDG16+ SDG4 and SDG5 in particular) so that no community and youth in Kaduna state and Nigeria at large would be left behind. CYPLP as an organization works primarily in serving vulnerable population of children, youth, elderly persons, people living with disabilities (PLWD's) and women in unserved, underserved, underrepresented and marginalized local communities in Nigeria.

My areas of competence in peace education and peace building process includes;

1. Conflict mapping, sensitivity and analysis

2. Negotiation, mediation and reconciliation

3. Interreligious and intercultural dialogue

4. Protection of civilians

5. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR)

6. Security sector reforms (SSR)

7. Mainstreaming gender in peace keeping

8. Mainstreaming gender in peace and state building

9. Crisis management/resolution

10. Media and conflict

11. Conflict and natural resources

12. Conflict prevention

13. Peace support operations (PSOs)

14. Post- conflict reconstruction and development

15. Humanitarian action

16. Transnational organized crime

17. Piracy and maritime security

18. Preventing violent extremism (PVE) etc.

Enobong Ekwere has an extensive professional working experience in projects such as;

1. PRELT (Prevention of radicalization and extremism leading to terrorism)

2. BRAVE (Building resilience against violent extremism)

3. iDOVE (Interfaith dialogue on violent extremism) in local communities across Kaduna state and Nigeria at large.

I have initiated two projects to counter religious and violent extremism among the youths in local communities in Nigeria, and one empowerment program, these are;

1. CAARE ( Countering Attitudes Against Religious Extremism)

2. CAAVE (Countering Attitudes Against Violent Extremism)

3. NEET (Not in Education, Empowerment or Training) an empowerment training program aimed at training vulnerable population of young people in local communities in Nigeria with leadership skills, entrepreneurial and vocational skills acquisition.

He can be reached via:

Tel/WhatsApp: +2347082558952

Email: julyenobong2020@gmail.com

            : enobongekwere825@gmail.com

MY PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

FACEBOOK: 

https://www.facebook.com/enobong.ekwere.372

TWITTER: 

http://www.twitter.com/Enobongekwere2

INSTAGRAM: 

http://www.instagram.com/enobongekwere825

LINKEDIN: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/enobong-ekwere-3271b116b

MY ORGANIZATION'S SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

FACEBOOK: 

https://www.facebook.com/cyplp.net.ng/

TWITTER: 

http://www.twitter.com/youngpeoplefor/

INSTAGRAM: 

http://www.instagram.com/cyplp/

WEBSITE: 

www.cyplp.net.ng

INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER - INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (IHRC) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.