Over 1,100 Projects Underway in Niger Delta Communities

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced that more than 1,100 projects are currently being executed in the Niger Delta under the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) framework established by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). Kingsley Ehiaguina, Assistant Director of Host Community Development Affairs at NUPRC, made this disclosure during the inauguration of the Board of Trustees for the PML 66 HCDT by Ingentia Energies Limited in Port Harcourt.

The trust includes three communities in Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State: Egbolom, Omelema, and Ahoada I. The PIA, effective since 2021, aims to ensure that oil-producing communities benefit directly from petroleum operations.

Ehiaguina highlighted that 163 HCDTs have been incorporated, with billions of naira remitted and over 200 projects commissioned. He commended Ingentia Energies Limited for its commitment to the PIA and urged the Board of Trustees to remain transparent and prioritize the interests of the host communities.