The Federal Government has said it will publish names of actual owners
of oil and gas companies on December 12.
The Executive Secretary of the National Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Waziri Adio stated this while
addressing journalists after a meeting with Mark Robinson, head of the
international secretariat of the global Extractive Industries
Transparency Initiative (EITI), who is on a working visit.
He said the beneficial ownership register is expected to contain
information on the actual owners of the extractive industries
companies, irrespective of the names of those who manage them in trust
for their principals.
Adio said that the meeting was organised for journalists and civil
society groups to exchange views on EITI implementation in Nigeria,
and the ongoing reforms in the oil, gas and mining sectors.
Adio was represented by Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, NEITIโs director of
communications and advocacy.
In his remarks, Robinson commended Nigeria for the effort it was
making to ensure transparency in the oil and gas, mining sectors
operations.
Robinson said the group managing director of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) informed him that the corporation was
looking into remediation that had been reoccurring in the NEITI audit
reports.
He said that there were community development agreements that had been
signed by the companies and there were always issues about who signed
on their behalf.
According to Bassi, NEITIโs reports cover revenue from the minerals
sector however, there are limitations to accessing the location of
illegal miners, so the reports concentrate on companies that make
regular payments.
