Group advocates gender inclusion in PIA host community trust funds

Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group (NDEBUMOG) and Oxfam have called for enhanced gender inclusion in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) host community development trust funds.

They made the call in a communiqué adopted at the end of a one-day governmental colloquium on Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) host community funds.

They highlighted the importance of mainstreaming women into extractive frameworks, such as the PIA in Nigeria encapsulated three per cent of host community funds.

They mentioned that the involvement of women in the implementation of the PIA would go a long way in achieving extractive justice as envisaged by the law.

The group pointed out strategies for overcoming barriers to women’s participation in the PIA’s three per cent Host Communities Development Trust Funds implementation.

The group stressed that although the PIA’s three per cent host community fund is a new development with mixed expectations and has thrown up contentious complexities, for instance, placing the burden for protection of the oil facilities on the shoulders of host communities, which could be sabotaged to frustrate host communities from benefiting from the three per cent.

“Communities may not understand how extractive companies prepare their Operating Expenditure (OPEX) budget to arrive at the amount of money they would declare and contribute to the fund as three per cent. Many companies are often very secretive in calculating their operational expenses or profits. Communities have no choice but to accept whatever the companies may declare.

“PIA favours oil companies, the settlors, with more powers given to them in the law than the host communities, where they operate, with the powers to appoint people from host communities into the trust funds given to extractive companies (section 234) etc,” the group stated

They emphasised that host communities have suffered greatly and are still suffering, as a result of extractive activities, noting that communities suffered from destruction of sources of livelihoods, environmental pollution and gas flaring, with effects on women, arguably, than men.

“There are no gender equity provisions in the PIA. Therefore, any future amendment to the law should correct this abnormality. Women should be among appointees into all the trust fund and other structures created by the PIA related to host community trust funds. Women, privileged to be appointed, should remember the plights of women in host communities, which should guide their technical and spiritual minds.

“National Assembly should take its oversight functions seriously, especially concerning the implementation of the three per cent host communities’ fund. Traditional and community leaders should be deliberate in creating roles for women throughout the PIA’s three per cent structural chain and should encourage women to participate actively,” the group stated.

They urged traditional rulers to eliminate cultural norms that hindered women participation in the affairs of communities and emplace gender equity, noting that women across host communities deserve equal access to host community funds.

“Women should be equipped with expertise to engage PIA’s processes, with men implored not to hijack all the opportunities, without consideration for women. One per cent of the three per cent OPEX of oil and gas companies should be allocated to women empowerment across host communities development trusts, projects, programs and activities,” the group said.