The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has inaugurated a national multi-stakeholder platform to address governance gaps in Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs) and strengthen the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) across the Niger Delta.
The platform, established under PIND’s CONNECT Project in partnership with the Ford Foundation, brings together host communities, regulators, oil companies, state governments, civil society organisations and development partners to promote transparency, accountability and coordinated development.
Anne Ihugba, PIND’s Manager of Knowledge Management and Communications, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, saying the initiative would promote structured dialogue, evidence sharing and practical action to improve host-community development.
She said the platform would address challenges relating to HCDT governance, regulatory collaboration, community participation, climate-responsive development planning, conflict sensitivity and evidence-based decision-making.
PIND Executive Director, Sam Daibo, said the platform was established to deliver concrete results rather than create another forum for discussions.
“The real test of this platform will be what happens after today, whether stakeholders follow through on agreed priorities, share evidence, resolve issues early and improve development outcomes for host communities,” he said.
Daibo said the CONNECT Project builds on lessons from PIND’s Bridges Project and seeks to scale tested approaches to community-led development.
He added that PIND would provide secretariat and technical support, while the platform’s effectiveness would depend on the commitment, participation and accountability of its members.
A board member of PIND, Prof. Obafemi Ajibola, said sustained collaboration was essential to translating the PIA’s host-community provisions into stronger institutions and tangible development outcomes.
“No institution or stakeholder group can close these gaps alone,” Ajibola said, describing the platform as a mechanism for identifying challenges, sharing knowledge and assigning responsibilities for agreed actions.
He said the platform would operate through a plenary, a steering committee and time-bound technical working groups to facilitate coordination and implementation.
PIND would also support documentation and action tracking, while state-level engagements and technical reviews would follow as the CONNECT Project progresses.
The initiative seeks to strengthen stakeholder coordination and accountability in the implementation of host-community development provisions under the PIA, with the aim of improving development outcomes across the Niger Delta.
