NEITI Urges Interrogation Of ‘Man-made’ Obstacles Frustrating Women Participation In Extractive Sector
By Juliet Ukanwosu
The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, has called on stakeholders to interrogate some man made obstacles frustrating meaningful women participation in extractive sector activities.
Dr. Orji made the call while giving his remarks at the opening of a two-day Multi-Stakeholders’ Roundtable organized in Abuja by Global Rights, in collaboration with NEITI and Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, with the theme “Enhancing Inclusiveness – An Imperative for Promoting Transparency, Accountability, and Development in Nigeria’s Extractive Industry”.
Some of the obstacles, according to Dr. Orji includes fiscal justice, physical demands, safety concerns, cultural biases and social abuses.
He explained that women’s participation in mining and steel sector has become an issue of debate and advocacy globally, noting that “this is in view of the negative implications a male-dominated extractive industry characterized by limited access for women in areas of employment opportunities, training, skills acquisition, investments and exposure to issues on managing natural resources endowments.”
The NEITI boss informed that for Nigeria and the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), inclusion and fiscal justice require developing new standards that would mandatorily require emphasis on placing fiscal justice and gender inclusion in decision making as important areas of policy reform through public disclosure of data that identifies specific social, economic, cultural, environmental challenges women and children face in oil, gas and mining host communities.
For instance, Orji disclosed that the latest industry audit report conducted by NEITI in the oil, gas and mining sector disclosed that employment opportunities for women in the industry in Nigeria is currently too low from global average.
The Report shows that 56 out of 70 companies covered had a total of 19,171 employees, out of which 15,639 (82%) were men, while 3,532 (18%) were women. Similarly, out of 2,325 top or high-level positions, women representation was less than 100.
Executive Secretary, NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji and Executive Director, Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, at the Multi-Stakeholders’ Roundtable in Abuja on Wednesday
While disclosing that NEITI has set up a Gender Desk to coordinate activities designed to put women and children issues in public consciousness as part of efforts to address gender equity and inclusion, he welcomed ongoing reforms by the Federal Government aimed at boosting the mining industry.
Speaking further, he called for actionable steps to enhance inclusiveness; build capacities, strengthen institutional frameworks, deepen community engagement, boost public awareness, while also addressing the intricate connection between mining activities, climate change, and the growing insecurity in our sub-nationals.
In her remarks, Abiodun Baiyewu, Executive Director, Global Rights, expressed concern as the mineral sector continues to contribute less than 1% to the national GDP, with more than 80% of the sector (in particular artisanal mining) remaining unregulated and its revenue unaccounted for.
“We live with the environmental and socio-economic consequences of lax oversight, and worse still, our children will pay for them. While these minerals pave the path to economic greatness for the countries to which they are illegally ferried, mining host communities inordinately bear the burden of the resource curse with seemingly little or no benefits from the wealth that is harnessed from their vicinity,” she said.
Baiyewu noted that with the burst in the hydrocarbon sector and a dwindling economy, minerals and mining have become one of the core economic focus of the Nigerian government, but wondered if the current industry’s framework engender transparency, accountability and participatory governance among others.
She explained that the Dialogue is intended to provide stakeholders the opportunity to develop strategies to promote transparency and accountability in the mineral sector, as well as promote the rights of mining host communities and engender Nigeria’s implementation of the AMV and the ECOWAS Mining Directive in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Hon. Gaza Gbefwi, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals Development, stated that the Committee is pursuing reforms that will provide for 5% direct beneficiation to mining host communities from the sectors revenue in order to ensure development of the communities.
He used the opportunity to invite stakeholders to a scheduled public hearing on two critical legislations, adding that a major problem with the sector is the fact that existing laws are vague and not sensitive to the plight of host communities.
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