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By Isaiah Eka
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has reiterated its commitment towards ensuring real-time, automated, and centralised extractive sector data.
The Executive Secretary, Dr Orji Orji, said at the 2025 National Extractives Dialogue in Uyo on Wednesday, that NEITI had already established a data centre to automate and centralise extractive sector data.
Speaking at the event with the theme: “Transition, Divestment and Critical Minerals: Charting a Just Future for Nigeria’s Extractive Sector”, Orji said that the centre would soon become fully operational.
“When fully operational, the data centre will centralise licensing, production, revenue, and export data across oil, gas, and solid mineral sectors.
“It will enhance transparency and accountability in the sector and enable automated disclosures by companies in line with NEITI standards,” he said.
He said that the data centre represented NEITI’s commitment to intelligent, accessible, and actionable transparency in a data-driven world.
The executive secretary said that there was need for a coordinated approach towards handling the challenges and opportunities arising from the global shift to clean energy, divestments, and the growing demand for critical minerals.
Mr Gaza Gbefwi, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals, expressed the need for urgent policy actions towards harnessing Nigeria’s critical minerals that were essential for the global clean energy transition.
Gbefwi said that an International Energy Agency report projected that the demand for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earth elements would quadruple by 2040.
“The global transition to clean energy has intensified the race for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earth elements.
“These minerals are essential inputs in electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage among others,” he said.
In his remarks, the Director General, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Mr Chukwuemeka Woke, highlighted the critical moment Nigeria’s extractive sector was facing as the world shifted towards low-carbon energy systems.
Represented by Mrs Margaret Adesida, Director, ICT/GIS, Woke said that several divestment deals involving major international oil companies had been initiated or concluded.
Earlier in her address, the Director, Spaces for Change, Mrs Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, said that as the world raced towards energy transition, Nigeria should make informed choices on regulation, environmental accountability and community protection.
NAN reports that the event was organised by Spaces for Change in collaboration with NEITI, NOSDRA and Ford Foundation. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Azubuike Okeh
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