Okon Bassey in Uyo

The National Assembly has criticized the inability of some Host Community Development Trust, HCDT, to execute any project in oil bearing communities despite the sum of N373bn made available to them for the funding of projects.

But the Executive Director of Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, (PIND), Mr. Sam Daibo, has said the Bridges Project has shown that the success of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, and particularly the HCDT model would depend not just on compliance, but on collaboration, trust, and shared accountability.

The chairman, House Committee on Host Communities, Mr. Dumnamene Dekor, expressed dissatisfaction over the utilization of the HCDT, during the Bridges Project Host Community Development Trust Stakeholders Dialogue Forum held at Ikot Ekpene Local Council of Akwa Ibom State yesterday.

The two-day close-out forum, themed “Four Years of the PIA: Lessons, Gains, and the Path Forward for Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs),” was organized by Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, (PIND), in collaboration with the Ford Foundation.

Dekor warned the House of Representatives may soon consider a Bill for a law to change the leadership of some Trusts who have received Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta, (PIND); but yet to execute one project after more than a year of existence.

“’Over N373bn is available to all the Trusts. What percentage of this has been put to use? This is another question. And so, for those Settlors and those Trusts that must have been funded but they are yet, for so many months and some of them more than a year, to even start one project, then there’s the need to look at it.

‘’The NUPRC and the House will partner with you and if there’s the need to change the leadership of the Trusts for the benefits of the people, then we will propose that bill,” the lawmaker threatened.

Speaking on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Manager, Host Community Development Administration, Mrs. Omolade Awah, commended PIND and the Ford Foundation for ‘’fostering dialogue and evidence-based engagement that strengthen transparency and accountability under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).’’

Awah expressed satisfaction that the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) framework – a core pillar of the PIA – is already yielding visible results across the Niger Delta, from infrastructure and human capital projects to renewed community trust and stability.

She reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring that the HCDT structure continues to serve as a credible mechanism for sustainable development, peacebuilding, and shared prosperity in host communities.

Earlier, the Executive Director of PIND, Mr. Sam Ogbemi Daibo, had pointed out that the forum marks a pivotal step in consolidating lessons from the Bridges Project for future implementation.

“The Bridges Project has shown that the success of the PIA – and particularly the HCDT model, depends not just on compliance, but on collaboration, trust, and shared accountability.

‘’The lessons learned from this process provide a roadmap for the years ahead – guiding how we strengthen partnerships, deepen community engagement, and sustain the gains of host community development,” he said.

In a remark, Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Linus Nkan, emphasized that “the success of the HCDT implementation depends on shared accountability, trust, and continuous learning, and it should also be extended to government houses of all the Niger Delta states’’.

The forum featured the presentation of the Bridges Project Status Report, highlighting significant progress in improving awareness of PIA provisions, strengthening stakeholder collaboration, and building new models for participatory governance.

The Bridges Project which was launched in 2023, has served as a transformative platform for dialogue and collaboration among regulators, settlors, and host communities.

Through its Multi-Stakeholder Platform, the project strengthened transparency, built trust, and promoted shared accountability in the implementation of the PIA’s HCDT framework – a central mechanism of the PIA designed to ensure that host communities benefit directly from extractive activities.

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