The Nigeria Natural Resource Charter (NNRC) a not for profit advocacy organization that supports the extractive industry, government, civil society and citizens to efficiently harness Nigeria’s natural resources wealth for public good has welcomed the appointment of Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji as the new Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
The NNRC believes that the choice of Dr. Orji was a natural one in view of the milestones achieved by the present management of NEITI and ongoing efforts by the organization to help in reposition Nigeria’s extractive sector thus it becomes imperative that a member of the present continue the massive reforms currently in progress in the oil and gas industry.
Dr. Orji, according to the NNRC is a competent technocrat well versed on issues of extractive sector transparency and as the Director of Communications and Advocacy at the NEITI before he was tapped as the Executive Secretary; he is part of the present drive at the organization. Moreso, as a competent technocrat, and resource governance professional, he has been deeply involved with engagements on oil sector reforms which the NNRC see as a great advantage for the Nigerian petroleum sector.
To this end, the NNRC is of the view that this appointment couldn’t have come at a better time and hopes that Dr. Orji’s tenure will not only build on the existing cordial relationship between the NNRC and NEITI, but that the relationship will move to the next level as both organizations work assiduously to ensure that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) becomes law this year.
The NNRC pledges to continue to collaborate with NEITI in areas such as exchange of information and data, contract transparency, beneficial ownership, creating an enabling environment for the oil and gas industry and above all in the NNRC’s Benchmarking Exercise Report (BER) which evaluates developments in the petroleum sector on a biennial basis.
