The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta and the Ford Foundation have concluded the Bridges Project with a high-level stakeholders’ dialogue aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act’s Host Community Development Trusts in the oil-producing region.
In a statement, the two organisations closed the project at a two-day forum titled ‘Four Years of the PIA: Lessons, Gains, and the Path Forward for Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs)’, which brought together more than 150 participants from government agencies, settlers, regulators, community leaders and development partners.
They said the Bridges Project, launched in 2023, provided a platform that improved dialogue among regulators, settlers and host communities. The project also promoted transparency and trust in implementing the Host Community Development Trust framework, which the PIA created to ensure that host communities “benefit directly from extractive activities”.
Executive Director of PIND Foundation, Sam Daibo, said the forum marked an important step in consolidating lessons learnt from the Bridges Project.
Daibo said, “The Bridges Project has demonstrated that the success of the PIA, and especially the HCDT model, relies not only on compliance but also on collaboration, trust, and shared accountability.
“The lessons learnt from this process offer a roadmap for the future, guiding how we strengthen partnerships, deepen community involvement, and maintain the progress of host community development.”
Organisers said the meeting featured the presentation of the Bridges Project Status Report, which outlined improvements in awareness of PIA provisions, stronger stakeholder collaboration and the development of models that support participatory governance across host communities.
Delivering the keynote on behalf of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Gbenga Komolafe, the NUPRC’s Manager of Host Community Development Administration, Omolade Awah, commended the partners for promoting engagement that enhances transparency in the sector.
Awah said the Host Community Development Trust “is already producing tangible results across the Niger Delta, from infrastructure and human capital projects to increased community trust and stability.”
Awah added that the Commission remained committed to ensuring that the HCDT continued to serve as “a credible mechanism for sustainable development, peacebuilding, and shared prosperity in host communities”.
Also speaking, Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Akwa Ibom State, Dr Linus Nkan, said, “The success of the HCDT implementation depends on shared accountability, trust, and continuous learning,” and recommended that its adoption “should also be extended to government houses of all the Niger Delta states.”
With the Bridges Project coming to a close, PIND and the Ford Foundation reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining the Multi-Stakeholder Platform, supporting capacity building for HCDTs and promoting a Niger Delta where peace and prosperity are “community-driven and sustainable.”
