By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
A civil society organization, Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nigeria, says it will continue to drive robust engagement on the governance of the country’s extractive sector.
This is contained in a communique from PWYP, the Nigerian chapter of the leading global civil society coalition working for transparency and transparency in the extractive sectors at its 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM), held in Lagos.
The event also saw the emergence of a new leadership to steer the affairs of the campaign for the next three years.
The communique said the AGM was supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC-II) implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) with funding from the European Union.
It said “the AGM noted that the event provided an opportunity for “restructuring and repositioning Publish What You Pay Nigeria to play a leading role in influencing natural resource governance and ancillary policy issues affecting the sector, such as anti-corruption, energy transition, and climate justice as well as in linking such discourses to the country’s broader efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
“The communique further noted that although PWYP Nigeria had over the years faced several institutional and structural challenges, the coalition had bounced back stronger. It added that the coalition has “the potential and capacity to leverage its international profile and image to play a leading demand-side role not only in Nigeria but also across Africa, helping the continent to manage its natural resources in a just and accountable manner that yields sustainable development.”
“The AGM also elected a new Steering Committee to drive the affairs of the campaign, with Dr. Erisa Danladi as National Coordinator. Danladi, who also sits on the National Stakeholder Working Group (NSWG) of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), is the Executive Director of Motherhen Development Foundation. Also elected Deputy National Coordinator and General Secretary, respectively, are Tijah Bolton-Akpan, Executive Director of Policy Alert and National Steering Committee member of Nigeria’s Open Government Partnership (OGP), and Prof. Helen Bodunde, a professor of Communications and English Language at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) and President of Education, Gender, Youth and Family Network (EduGUF-N), a leading non-profit that champions gender and child rights issues.
“A new Board of Trustees was also elected at the AGM, comprising Dr. Kelechi Okezie, Dr. Temitope Olaifa, Ms. Faith Nwadishi, and Dr. Mohammed Mustapha. Other members of the new Board are Godson Jim-Dorgu, Prof. Godwin Onu, and Mr. Mohammed Wuyo.
“In her acceptance speech, Dr. Danladi expressed appreciation for the pioneering roles of PWYP Nigeria’s founders, previous National Coordinators, and the tenacity of the campaign’s members despite mountain-like challenges over the years.
“I am confident that together we can amplify our voices and drive impactful change. The values that PWYP represents – transparency, accountability, and community empowerment – are vital for fostering a fairer and more equitable Nigeria. I am committed to upholding these principles as we work together to ensure that revenues from our natural resources benefits all citizens” she said.”
