Abuja: The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has called on civil society organisations, the media, and industry stakeholders to support Nigeria’s 2026 validation under the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Mr. Musa Sarkin-Adar, made the call during a civil society and media engagement in Abuja. The event was organised in collaboration with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IIDEA) and The Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) programme. The 2026 Nigeria’s EITI validation is set to commence on July 1 and aims to strengthen stakeholders’ readiness, clarify roles and expectations, and build confidence in the validation outcomes.
The Validation serves as a quality assurance mechanism within the global EITI framework to evaluate a country’s compliance with the EITI Standard, a global benchmark for transparency and accountability in the oil, gas, and mining sectors. Sarkin-Adar described EITI as an essential platform for promoting transparency, accountability, and investor confidence in the management of natural resources. He emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to the validation process despite existing challenges and expressed the country’s determination to improve on its previous performance.
Sarkin-Adar noted that Nigeria scored 70 percent in its last EITI validation but did not meet the requirement for full compliance. He warned that an unfavorable validation outcome could discourage foreign investment in the oil, gas, and mining sectors. He called on regulatory agencies, extractive companies, and other relevant institutions to cooperate by providing timely information and responding promptly to requests, as delays have impacted NEITI’s work and the country’s transparency commitments.
Sarkin-Adar highlighted that EITI is conducting validation exercises in several member countries and that NEITI is working diligently to meet all outstanding requirements within the stipulated timeline. He expressed confidence that Nigeria is well-prepared for the exercise and is aiming for 100 percent compliance.
He commended the Chairman of the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG), Sen. George Akume, for supporting efforts to address outstanding issues ahead of the validation. Sarkin-Adar called for greater public awareness and urged stakeholders to provide objective feedback during the validation process, as their responses would influence Nigeria’s assessment. He appealed to civil society groups to advocate for increased NEITI involvement in monitoring revenue recovery and utilization identified through its audits.
NEITI has begun engagements with key stakeholders, including regulators, government institutions, and extractive companies, in preparation for the validation. Sarkin-Adar mentioned that EITI validators are expected in Nigeria from August for a two-week assessment to improve the country’s compliance score and governance of its natural resources.
In his address, Sen. Akume, represented by Dr. Steve Akpan, a member of the NSWG, acknowledged the tight timeline for the validation and called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders. He urged civil society organisations and the media to actively support the process, noting that collective effort would be crucial to Nigeria’s success.
Mrs. Obiageli Onuorah, NEITI’s Director of Communications and Stakeholder Management, stated that the 2026 validation would test Nigeria’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption reforms. She noted that the new EITI validation framework places greater emphasis on data disclosure, public engagement, and subnational accountability.