The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has called on oil companies operating in Nigeria to prioritise the development of their host communities by ensuring the effective utilisation of the three percent Operating Expenses (OPEX) allocated for community projects.
NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, made this call on Thursday in Abuja at the official presentation of a policy brief titled “Giving Host Communities Their Due: Revisiting the Three Per Cent OPEX Funding Framework for Host Community Development Trusts in Nigeria.”
The event was organised by Spaces for Change, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), and was attended by key industry stakeholders, government officials, and representatives of host communities.