By Obas Esiedesa, Abuja

The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to strengthen the protection of civic space in the oil and gas and solid minerals sectors.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Abuja on Friday, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mr. Musa Sarkin Adar, said the agreement was not a mere formality but a deliberate effort to deepen an already productive relationship between the two institutions.

Adar explained that providing a conducive environment for civil society organisations (CSOs) is central to NEITI’s mandate.

“Civil society is a formal and indispensable part of the tripartite system (what we call the magic triangle) alongside government and industry. This arrangement is the backbone of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), ensuring credibility, balance, and the ability to operate freely, independently, and without fear,” he said.

He noted that CSOs play critical roles through advocacy, policy dialogue, data analysis, community engagement, dissemination of findings, and holding stakeholders accountable at national and sub-national levels.

“Civil society organisations translate complex extractive-sector information into public knowledge and ensure that the interests of host communities are represented. NEITI’s effectiveness is therefore directly linked to the strength and freedom of civil society,” Adar added.

According to him, anchoring civic space protection in a formal partnership with the NHRC reinforces NEITI’s commitment to EITI principles and to an enabling environment for civil society participation.

“The MoU establishes mechanisms for early engagement, joint responses, and institutional support whenever civic space concerns arise within the extractive sector,” he said.

Adar stated that the partnership would enhance information sharing, coordinated advocacy, and joint responses to issues at the intersection of extractive governance and human rights.

“For civil society, it provides institutional support, legitimacy, and protection. For host communities, it strengthens the channels through which their voices are heard and their rights defended. For the media, it improves access to credible information, reinforcing accountability narratives grounded in transparency and human rights,” he said.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, said the partnership was designed to protect civic space and ensure that civil society organisations can operate freely in line with the mandates of both institutions.

Ojukwu noted that the MoU would galvanise civil society action in the extractive sector, enabling CSOs to discharge their constitutional responsibilities and engage more effectively in the Open Government Partnership (OGP) process.