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General data collection processes of the Nigeria
Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) are to go live on
an automated platform in the new year, the executive secretary of the
agency, Zainab Ahmed, said in Abuja at the weekend. Mrs Ahmed, who was
reviewing the challenges and progress of the agency in the outgoing
year, said though it is gradually overcoming its challenges, NEITI is
looking forward to the best of times in 2011 as it remains positive
that enough has been achieved for Nigeria to be granted full Extractive
Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) Compliant status.

“This is part of the processes to ensure accurate
data collection and timely auditing as well as reporting of revenue
receipts and payments of the extractive industries,” she said, pointing
out that “this will aid the speed of dissemination of quality
information about the revenues in the extractive industry to the
Nigeria public.”

While acknowledging the support of various
stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society
organizations (CSOs) and international development partners, she
assured that NEITI is now on course to fully deliver on its assignment.

“NEITI has acquired a new suitable office complex it
plans to move in next year. We have already commenced comprehensive
plans on public communication, technical services and management
programmes to meet national and international expectations in the New
year and beyond,” the NEITI boss said.

Fighting resource-curse

NEITI chairman, Assisi Asobie, who noted measures by
the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) to strengthen the NEITI
secretariat, said the Board has responded positively towards meeting
the conditions set by the EITI Board for validation as full compliant
member-country.

Mr Asobie traced the high level of poverty associated
with natural resources-endowed countries to the common syndrome of
resource-curse, saying at the heart of the problem are issues of good
governance, transparency and accountability. He said because of the
nature of natural resources such as crude oil, the tendency for corrupt
practices and mis-governance is always high among countries endowed
with them, resulting in the paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty.

“The management of revenue accruing from the extractive sector in a
transparent, prudent and accountable manner is the panacea for resource
curse. But this has proved such a huge challenge in countries such as
Nigeria, though association with EITI has helped to provide the
technical know-how and the strategic direction to confront it,” he
said. Announcing that the 2006-2008 oil and gas industry audit report
is to be published early next year, Mr Asobie said the process to
commission the 2009 audit has already commenced, while that of 2010
would be commissioned in 2011 as NEITI moves into the solid minerals
sector.