…warns against misleading narratives
An oil and gas accountability group, the Niger Delta Accountability and Resource Protection Network (NDARPN), has dismissed claims by the House of Representatives Committee on the South South Development Commission alleging that Nigeria’s failure to implement key funding provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) has cost the region over ₦1 trillion.
In a statement released on Friday in Port Harcourt, the organisation’s president, Comrade Ebikabo West, described the committee’s allegations as “sensational, misleading and potentially damaging to the investment stabilisation the PIA has steadily cultivated.”
West maintained that the implementation of the PIA by relevant regulatory bodies, especially regarding host community development funds and environmental responsibilities, has been more effective and transparent than any mechanism that existed before the Act.
He cautioned lawmakers against political commentary capable of “eroding investor confidence or disrupting the delicate progress achieved so far.”
“It is simply inaccurate to suggest that the Niger Delta has been denied trillions because the funds are not being operated in the dramatic fashion being portrayed,” West stated.
According to him, the host communities development provisions of the PIA are being “effectively and rigorously monitored”, with a regulatory system that guarantees communities direct benefits backed by strong oversight and traceability.
He explained that the PIA introduced enforceable obligations that regulators now monitor with far stronger compliance tools than those available in the pre-PIA era.
West added that the narrative of “non-implementation” ignores verifiable progress recorded across host communities and in environmental management.
“We must be careful not to weaponise environmental concerns or misrepresent regulatory processes. Such portrayals undermine the credibility of reforms and weaken the collective fight for environmental justice,” he cautioned.
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West also stressed that Nigeria is gradually restoring the confidence of multinational oil companies that had exited the country due to prolonged regulatory uncertainty, conflicting directives and institutional pressure that previously “strangled investment.”
“After decades of instability, Nigeria now has a predictable legislative and fiscal framework. It is only reasonable to allow the relevant agencies to execute their mandates strictly within the provisions of the PIA. Dragging them into political theatrics will jeopardise the gradual return of investor confidence,” he added.
While acknowledging the importance of the National Assembly’s oversight function, NDARPN urged that such interventions must be evidence-driven and not based on assumptions that could fuel confusion or tension within the sector.
“What the Niger Delta needs is consolidation, not disruption. Let the institutions empowered by the PIA continue their work without undue pressure. That is the surest path to accountability, environmental protection and sustainable development,” West advised.