Trailblazing NEITI Set To Unveil First Extractive Industry Multi-million Naira Data Centre
By Juliet Ukanwosu
Nigeria has again set the pace for innovative implementation of the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) implementation with the planned unveiling of the first multi-million Naira Data Centre.
The fully completed and automated state of the art Data Centre, reputed to be the first of its kind among the 57 EITI-implementing countries, is now set for unveiling by the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
The project which was conceived by the immediate past National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) and sustained by the present board, reached completion despite the naira-to-dollar exchange rate volatility and escalating inflation in the country.
The conception of the Centre, aligns with Nigeria’s commitments to fully comply with the Open Data policy requirements under the EITI 2023 Standards. It will provide backbone support for NEITI/EITI systematic disclosure programme which is fast becoming the future of EITI Industry globally.
Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, who conducted members of civil society on a tour of the facility explained that the Centre is part of projects to institutionalize EITI in Nigeria under NEITI’s five-year Strategic Plan and will serve as a one-stop shop for information and data on Nigeria’s extractive sector.
Dr. Orji in a group photo with civil society leaders during an unscheduled inspection visit to the NEITI Data Centre in Abuja on Monday
Extractive360 learnt that the state-of-the-art Centre will also serve as a reservoir for all information and data published in the various NEITI industry reports since the first edition in 2004. It will also be a warehouse for all extractive industry data in aggregated and disaggregated formats for easy public access by multi-stakeholders, especially the civil society, media, extractives companies, government agencies and the legislature.
Furthermore, the Centre will also provide information analysis, training and manpower development in data science education, deployment and utilisation required to sustain a robust public knowledge and understanding of Nigeria’s extractive industry.
“Apart from providing evidence-led stakeholders-civic-engagement that supports public debate, the new Centre will support NEITI’s contribution and value-addition to national planning and development,” Dr. Orji said.
He applauded President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its support to the completion of the project, while commending the Chairman of NEITI Board and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume and members of the Board for their leadership.
Dr. Orji with a former member of the NEITI Board and International EITI Board, Faith Nwadishi
On why the project missed its initial March 2024 completion deadline, he attributed the delay to unforeseen circumstances primarily as a result of delays in the release of funds and painstaking procurement process.
“When the project was conceived in March 2022, NEITI developed a comprehensive project concept note and sent to the World Bank for funding consideration over a period of three years under the Bank’s Extractives Global Programmatic Support (EGPS). However, NEITI’s hopes were dashed following the closure of the windows for such world banking support opportunities for extractive sectors governance in EITI member countries.
“We had no other choice than to approach the Federal Government under President Tinubu for funding in the 2023 and 2024 budgets respectively. Coincidentally, at the point the project execution commenced, the Federal Government had approved the acquisition of a permanent office building for NEITI in furtherance of its commitment to the EITI implementation in Nigeria,” Dr. Orji explained to members of civil society organisations which paid an unscheduled visit to the Centre on Monday.
He added that “that the decision by the President Tinubu’s administration to take up the funding of the project in the 2023 and 2024 budgets respectively came as a huge relief to NEITI and a bold positive statement of the administration’s commitment to the implementation of the EITI standards in Nigeria.”
The ICT infrastructure at the Centre include a server room, a control room to power the main Data Centre, CCTV cameras & allied devices, access control devices, comprehensive Local Area Network (LAN) and internet access. Others include visual technology displays equipment and adequate state of the art video conferencing and communication equipment.
The Civil Society Organisations working in the extractive industries which paid a sudden visit to NEITI House to inspect the Center after a meeting in Abuja on Monday, hailed the NEITI Board and management for the completion of the Data Center.
Led by Dr. Erisa Danladi, the Civil Society representative on the NEITI National Stakeholders Working Group, the group described the Centre as impressive given the quality of work and commended Dr. Orji and his team at the NEITI Secretariat for a job well done.
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