Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and the Ford Foundation have officially concluded the Bridges Project with a high-level stakeholders’ dialogue forum that brought together leaders from government, settlors, regulators, representatives of Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs), and communities to reflect on lessons from four years of implementing the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), particularly its HCDT provisions.
The Host Community Development Trusts serve as a central mechanism of the PIA, designed to ensure that host communities benefit directly from extractive activities.
The stakeholders’ dialogue forum also charted a way forward for sustainable host community development in the Niger Delta region.
The two-day stakeholders’ forum, themed “Four Years of the PIA: Lessons, Gains, and the Path Forward for Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs)”, convened over 150 participants, including representatives from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), South-South Development Commission (SSDC), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), state governments, development partners, settlors, civil society, and community leaders.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Sam Ogbemi Daibo, Executive Director of PIND Foundation, noted that the forum marked a pivotal step in consolidating lessons from the Bridges Project for future implementation.
“The Bridges Project has shown that the success of the PIA and particularly the HCDT model, depends not just on compliance, but on collaboration, trust, and shared accountability. The lessons learned from this process provide a roadmap for the years ahead, guiding how we strengthen partnerships, deepen community engagement, and sustain the gains of host community development,” he said.
The forum featured the presentation of the Bridges Project Status Report, which highlighted improved awareness of PIA provisions, strengthened stakeholder collaboration, and the establishment of new models for participatory governance.
In a keynote address presented on behalf of the Chief Executive of the NUPRC, the Commission’s Manager, Host Community Development Administration, Mrs. Omolade Awah, commended PIND and the Ford Foundation for fostering dialogue and evidence-based engagement that strengthen transparency and accountability under the Petroleum Industry Act.
She noted that the Host Community Development Trust framework, a core pillar of the PIA, is already yielding visible results across the Niger Delta, from infrastructure and human capital projects to renewed community trust and stability.
Awah reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that the HCDT structure continues to serve as a credible mechanism for sustainable development, peacebuilding, and shared prosperity in host communities.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Linus Nkan, Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Akwa Ibom State, emphasized that “the success of HCDT implementation depends on shared accountability, trust, and continuous learning, and it should also be extended to government houses of all the Niger Delta states.”
PIND and the Ford Foundation reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the gains of the Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP), supporting capacity building for HCDTs, and advancing a future where peace and prosperity in the Niger Delta are community-owned and sustained.
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