The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has established 155 Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) in Niger Delta oil-producing areas to fulfill the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
NUPRC’s Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, shared these updates at a Port Harcourt town hall, noting deployment of the HostComply digital platform for tracking HCDT operations and PIA compliance. Over 79 trusts have received mandatory 3% operational expenditure contributions from oil firms, supporting 663 infrastructures and livelihood projects.
Ongoing issues include poor governance and accountability in fund management, project delays from bureaucracy, and disputes over community representation and allocations. Eyesan urged better use of HostComply, stronger governance, and stakeholder collaboration involving government, rulers, companies, and locals.
The National President of Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas, Dr. Benjamin Tamaranebi, pressed state governors to share part of the 13% oil derivation funds with HCDTs, decrying their politicization. He highlighted NUPRC’s new dispute center in Yenagoa and warned against exceeding the PIA’s 5% administrative cap (with 75% for projects and 20% for investments).
