The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has disclosed that more than 1,100 development projects are currently being implemented across the Niger Delta through the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) framework established by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The Assistant Director of Host Community Development Affairs at the NUPRC, Kingsley Ehiaguina, made this known on Thursday during the inauguration of the Board of Trustees of the PML 66 Host Communities Development Trust by Ingentia Energies Limited in Port Harcourt.
The PML 66 Host Communities Development Trust covers three communities in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State — Egbolom, Omelema and Ahoada I.
The Petroleum Industry Act, which came into effect in 2021, created the Host Communities Development Trust to ensure oil-producing communities benefit directly from petroleum operations through projects that address their development needs.
Speaking at the event, Ehiaguina described the inauguration as another milestone in the implementation of the HCDT initiative, noting that the programme has already recorded significant achievements.
He revealed that 163 Host Communities Development Trusts have been incorporated, with billions of naira remitted into their accounts to support community development.
According to him, over 1,100 projects are currently ongoing across the Niger Delta, while more than 200 projects have already been completed and commissioned.
Ehiaguina commended Ingentia Energies Limited for its commitment to implementing the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act and assured the newly inaugurated trustees that the commission would ensure companies fulfil their statutory obligation of contributing three percent of their annual operating expenditure to the trust.
He also urged the board members to carry out their responsibilities with transparency and always prioritise the interests of their host communities.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ingentia Energies Limited, Charles Odita, said the trust was established after extensive consultations with stakeholders and members of the host communities.
He explained that the company would continue to provide funding for projects selected by the communities in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, expressing confidence that the trust would accelerate development in the affected communities.
Odita described the inauguration as a major step that would strengthen the relationship between the company and its host communities while ensuring that community members determine their own development priorities.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Patrick Ndukwe, described the inauguration as a significant achievement for both the energy sector and the host communities.
He urged the trustees to focus on projects that align with the Rivers State Government’s development agenda, including infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, education, agriculture and sustainable rural and urban development.
Earlier, consultant to Ingentia Energies Limited, Godwin Minimah, said the inauguration of the Board of Trustees marked an important step toward improving collaboration and strengthening relationships between the company and its host communities.
