Legal and energy experts have identified grey areas in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), warning that some provisions could sideline host communities in the Niger Delta if not urgently addressed.
They made this call at a two-day sensitisation workshop on the host community development provisions of the PIA, organised across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State by the Centre for Advanced Law Research, Rivers State University, and F1 Team Associates.
The workshop was aimed at educating host communities on how to leverage the provisions of the PIA to protect their rights and drive sustainable development.
Professor Samuel Dike, an expert in energy and comparative environmental law, stressed the need for strong political will to fully implement the PIA’s host community provisions.
He recommended amending Section 257(2) of the Act to allow closer collaboration between host communities, government, and International Oil Companies (IOCs) in safeguarding petroleum facilities and ensuring smooth operations.
He also urged a review of the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) provisions to increase host communities’ involvement in security and prevent settlors (operators) from unilaterally appointing HCDT board members.
Professor Kato Kingston, an energy and natural resources law scholar, reminded participants that Chapter 3 of the PIA provides dispute resolution mechanisms that host communities can invoke when their rights are violated by oil companies.
Legal practitioner and oil and gas expert, Jude Ndubuisi, said the sensitisation was necessary to empower host communities with knowledge of the Act, while Acting Director of the Centre for Advanced Law Research, Prof. Chukwucheta Emejuru, noted that the PIA would require periodic review, suggesting that the current 3% host community fund could be improved over time.
Participants, including local government chairmen, lawyers, civil society groups, and community representatives, welcomed the initiative.
They called for strengthened collaboration between host communities, councils, and regulators to ensure the 3% host community development fund delivers tangible benefits.
