EITI pledges support to NEITI, congratulates new executive secretary

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) has congratulated Musa Sarkin Adar on his appointment as the new Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

In a formal message to NEITI, signed by Bady Balde, Deputy Head of the EITI International Secretariat in Oslo, Norway, and made available to BusinessDay on Monday, the Secretariat expressed confidence in the organisation’s institutional capacity and reaffirmed its readiness to deepen collaboration and provide technical support under the new leadership.

The message, acknowledged Nigeria’s long standing role in the global EITI process since 2003.

It highlighted NEITI’s pioneering contributions, including the recovery of unremitted revenues, promotion of evidence based policy reforms and advancement of beneficial ownership transparency.

According to the Secretariat, these efforts represent important milestones in strengthening transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

Nigeria was described as an important implementing country within the EITI family, with the Secretariat pledging continued support as NEITI prepares for its next Validation and advances transparency reforms aimed at strengthening revenue mobilisation and attracting investment.

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The EITI International Secretariat also referenced the EITI Board’s November 2023 assessment, which awarded Nigeria an overall score of 72 out of 100 points, noting that the new leadership comes at a critical period for the Initiative in the country.

Nigeria’s next EITI Validation is scheduled for July 2026 and will assess the country’s adherence to the 2023 EITI Standard.

The Secretariat stressed expectations for impactful and results oriented implementation, particularly in supporting government priorities on revenue mobilisation, investment attraction and economic diversification, with emphasis on the solid minerals sector.

Responding, Musa Sarkin Adar, executive secretary, NEITI reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to working closely with the EITI International Secretariat, government institutions, civil society and industry stakeholders to sustain momentum on transparency reforms.

He said NEITI remains focused on ensuring that the forthcoming Validation process and related policy initiatives deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians.

The EITI is the global standard for promoting open and accountable management of oil, gas and mineral resources through multistakeholder collaboration, while NEITI serves as Nigeria’s national implementing body for the Initiative.

Ruth Tene Natsa

Ruth Tene, Assistant Editor, Agric/Solid Minerals/INEC Ruth Tene is an award-winning journalist with over 15 years experience in developmental reporting across several newsrooms, as a reporter, editor and other managerial roles. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the University of Maiduguri among several other certifications She has attended several trainings and certifications both locally and internationally and has been recognized for her impactful work in humanitarian reporting, receiving the Gold Award for Humanitarian Services from the Amazing Grace Foundation. She is also a recipient of the Home Alliance Fellowship, reflecting her commitment to fostering a more humane, safer and more sustainable planet. An active member of professional journalism bodies, Ruth is affiliated with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), and the Agricultural Correspondents Association of Nigeria (ACAN), where she continues to advocate for excellence, ethical reporting, and development-focused journalism.