CLARA NWACHUKWU
One of the ways the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, NEITI plans to some of the challenges facing it in terms of oil and gas audit processes and data gathering, to boost public confidence is in automation of processes.

Criticisms against recent oil and gas audits conducted by the agency, particularly in terms of uses and relevance to the public made NEITI to have a rethink to re-jig its processes.

The Executive Secretary, NEITI, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, speaking on: The Journey So Far, in the agency’s new publication, NEITI Open Audit, said the agency was faced with a lot of challenges, adding that her administration was doing all it can to overcome them.

She said that part of the immediate plans include the development of strategic plan to guide NEITI’s future plans.

Listing other major priorities areas under the current operating year, Ahmed, who came on board NEITI in November 2010, said she intends to “ensure the commencement of 2007-2010 Solid Minerals Audit,” haven dispensed with the 2006-2008 oil and gas audit.

To reach a wider audience, she also said that her administration will intensify public enlightenment prograammes and civil society engagements particularly at the grassroots.

She noted that NEITI has recorded modest achievements within the past one year despite the plethora of challenges it faced, especially inadequate funding to execute its projects.

The NEITI scribe recalled some of the successes, especially the fact that between November 2010 and May 2011, the Secretariat was “able to meet all the six EITI conditions, which made it possible for Nigeria to attain Compliant Status.”

She further revealed that “the procurement processes for NEITI to embark on new industry audits have reached advanced stages” for the 2009/2010 Oil and Gas Audit, and the 2007-2010 Solid Minerals Audit. For the latter audit, she said a consultant for the Mining Scoping Study has already been appointed.”

Furthermore, she revealed that the implementation of the Multi Donor Trust Fund, MDTF, under the World Bank has commenced, “following the setting up of a steering committee and appointment of a Project Coordinator, Procurement processes of all activities under the fund.”

However, she noted that NEITI is still bugged down by ineffective government-NEITI relations/sectoral linkages; comatose Inter Ministerial Task Team and static remediation plans, dwindling donor confidence, and poor NEITI/CSO relations and a host of others.