Malawi Delegation Arrives Abuja This Week on a Study Tour of EITI Implementation

Ejiofor Alike

A high-ranking delegation from Malawi is expected to arrive in Abuja this week on a study of Nigeria’s implementation of Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

While in Nigeria, the Malawian delegation will undertake a one week study of Nigeria’s implementation by NEITI, of the principles of the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

NEITI’s Director of Communications, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, said in a statement monday that the study would examine how NEITI interventions through its reports and advocacy are supporting the on-going reforms in the country’s oil, gas and mining sectors and how Malawi can benefit from this experience.

According him, the delegation is to be received on arrival by the Executive Secretary Mr. Waziri Adio at the NEITI Secretariat Abuja.

Malawi, with a population of about 18 million people is in Southern Africa. The country is rich in solid mineral resources such as uranium, coal and gemstones.

Malawi joined the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative on 22nd October, 2015, while Nigeria has been a founding member of the organization since 2003.

While the implementation of EITI in Malawi is currently at its infancy as the country is yet to publish any EITI Reports, Nigeria is a ranking member and attained complaint status in 2012, won the best implementing country at the 6th global conference of the organisation held in Sydney, Australia in 2013,and has published several independent audit reports in oil and gas industry since 2004. Nigeria has also published similar reports in solid minerals, fiscal allocation and resource disbursements.

Besides, Nigeria’s implementation of EITI is supported with a specific law, the NEITI Act of 2007. Among the 54- member –country world body, Nigeria through the work of NEITI is largely seen as a model worthy of emulation.

While in Nigeria, the Malawian EITI team led by the Chairman of the country’s multi-stakeholders group Mr. Kulemeka Crispen Clemence is expected to seek exposure to NEITI processes, its mandates, challenges, and success stories in its operations as an agency.

Other areas of interest to the team will include NEITI relations with its multi-stakeholders group like the civil society, the media, the extractive industry companies, government and other covered entities.
Since 2012, Nigeria has hosted two other African Countries of Ethiopia and Liberia and staff of the EITI International Secretariat from Oslo, Norway on similar study visits and internships.