The Embassy of Belgium, as well as the Australian and Canadian High Commissions in Nigeria have pledged to support the Open Data Policy of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
The Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt and his Canadian and Australian counterparts, Jamie Christoff and Ms Leilani Bin-Juda made the pledge on Wednesday shortly after inspecting the newly completed multi-million Naira NEITI Data Center.
The diplomatic delegation were conducted round the NEITI Data Centre in Abuja by Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, the Executive Secretary, NEITI.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the data centre is a one-stop shop for information and data collection on Nigeria’s extractive sector consisting of oil, gas and solid minerals.
The centre will also serve as a reservoir for all information and data published in the various NEITI Annual Industry Reports since the first edition in 2004.
The diplomats described the Data Center project as an important milestone in the corruption fight in the extractive industry.
They pledged to support the NEITI Data Center with skills development, training and technical assistance.
Orji said the visit of the Ambassador and the High Commissioners to NEITI House was an opportunity to deepen cooperation and partnership between NEITI and the diplomatic community in Nigeria.
“It will serve as a warehouse for all extractive industry data in aggregated and disaggregated formats for easy public access by Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the media, extractive industry companies, government agencies and the legislature.
“It will also provide data information analysis, training and manpower development in data science education deployment and utilisation required to sustain a robust public knowledge and understanding of Nigeria’s extractive industry.
“The conception of the centre aligns with Nigeria’s commitments to fully comply with the Open Data policy requirements under the EITI 2023 Standards.
“It will provide backbone support for NEITI/EITI Systematic Disclosure programme, which is fast becoming the future of EITI Industry globally,” he said.
Orji informed the diplomats that the global transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources posed significant risks to countries that depend heavily on hydrocarbon-based natural resource-revenues for survival.
According to him, Nigeria is heavily dependent on oil revenues for survival hence their visit is an opportunity to highlight the importance of partnership and cooperation between under developed, developing and developed countries.
He said such collaboration and partnership were found within the EITI community to enhance knowledge sharing, skills and technical support to tackle challenges in the extractive sector.
He explained that NEITI’s decision to build a Data Center was to enable the agency to support the reforms in the extractive industries with evidence-based decisions.
Dr Erisa Sarki, representative of CSOs on NEITI Board, identified the importance of sustainable advocacy to draw local and international attention to gender and environment issues arising from oil, gas and mining exploration activities. (NAN)
