Solving the huge and the commonest development challenges in the Niger Delta requires the combined efforts, resources and capabilities of all stakeholders, the new Executive Director of Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), Tunji Idowu has said
“No single organization can do it by itself. This is a fundamental belief to us,” Idowu said in his opening address during a roundtable organized to celebrate the 10th anniversary PIND.
Idowu also said the Petroleum Industry Act has been a game changer for the oil and gas sector noting that it has far reaching reforms aimed at good governance and best practices in the sector.
“We realise like every other player in the corporate investment space that PIB as it is popularly called poses to be a major game changer in the future of corporate social investment in the nation and the region in particular,” he said.
“Particularly, the underserved communities. This realisation gave birth to us focusing on this round table as part of our celebration.”
The PIND Foundation was established in 2010 to ensure and facilitate peace, inclusive and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta.
Since its establishment in 2010 with initial funding from Chevron Corporation, PIND has been promoting peace and equitable economic growth in the Niger Delta region by forging multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnerships at the regional, national, and international levels.
Speaking also at the event, the General Manager, Policy and Government Affairs, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Esimaje Brikinn, said any corporate social investment in the Niger Delta must be a participatory partnership and inclusive one involving community stakeholders, the government, civil society and non-governmental organizations.
According to him, good cooperation has capacity and skills for the core business and some capacity on social responsibility outreaches.
“Good civil society organizations have skills and capacities to develop societies by integrating all these efforts together and with the active participation of the communities, the scope, scale and effectiveness of sustainability of programmes,” Brikinn said.
Speaking on the recently passed Petroleum Industry Act, he said the Act has added another dimension to the discussion on social investment in the Niger Delta.
“This is why the topic: Leaving No One Behind, Inclusive Corporate Social Investment For Underserved Communities in the Niger Delta is very important to us,” he said.
He reiterated that the “Social investment in the Niger Delta is longer a choice for the oil companies”.
“It is now a law through the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act and host community’s development trust embedded in that Act.”