CISLAC laments inadequate data on oil extraction

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has lamented what it described as lack of data on the quantum of oil extraction in the country. 

Speaking at a high-level parley on business and human rights, Executive Director, CISLAC and Transparency International, Nigeria, Mr. Auwal Rafsanjani, said the volume of oil extraction in Nigeria is virtually unknown or undisclosed due to corruption in the sector. 

With a maximum crude oil production capacity of 2.5 million barrels, Nigeria’s oil production had fallen by 30 per cent in the last four years to 1.423 million barrels per day, mb/d in 2020 from 2.041 million barrels per day, mb/d in 2017. 

However, experts have argued that these figures which is usually disclosed publicly, refer to just the volume of oil offered for sale at the export terminal and other points of sale. 

Rafsanjani alleged that measurement of the volume of oil produced was being done by multinationals without input from government. 

“The quantum of oil produced today in Nigeria is unknown. This may be because the metering is determined by multinational corporations.  It is not that the government cannot do that but the multi-nationals is powerful to bribe its way through,” he stated. 

According to him, protection against human rights abuses within the Nigerian territory by businesses, especially in the extractive sector were very paramount. 

He stressed the need for government to take appropriate steps to prevent and redress such abuses through effective policies, legislation, regulations and adjudication. 

The executive director said the organisation had draft a cohesive human rights due diligence document, which could be incorporated within the framework of the current draft National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights.