Petroleum Industry Act: Captures All Host Communities In NBC Gazette – Ondo DG

Friday February 3rd, 2022

Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said a thorough job has to be done to identify the communities recognized by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as “Host Communities” and for them to be gazetted by Nigeria Boundary Commission (NBC). This is to enable those communities benefit from the 3% set aside for them by PIA Act.

The Deputy Governor made this submission in his office on Thursday, while receiving the delegation of NBC who were on advocacy visit on the determination of “Host Communities Along the Gulf of Guinea”.

The NBC team were in the State to press home the need to work closely with Ondo State Boundaries Commission to identify the communities recognized by the Acts as “Host Communities” .

Section 318 of the PIA, states- “a littoral community is a deep-water area of operation located along the Gulf of Guinea of the Nigerian shoreline up to about 500 meters inland, provided that such community is gazetted by the NBC”

The primary objectives of gazetting the host communities are to foster sustainable prosperity, enhance harmonious co-existence between Licenses/Lesses and host communities, provide direct social and economic benefits and create a framework to support the development of identified and gazetted host Communities.

Aiyedatiwa applauded the NBC on their advocacy.

In his words,
“…your visit is a laudable idea and I want to assure you that for us in Ondo State, we will cooperate and collaborate with your Commission to ensure that all the Communities that fall within that region will benefit from the PIA, and non of these communities will be left out” .

He further stated that
Ondo State Government will give all the necessary support to ensure that the exercise is successfully conducted.

Speaking at the occasion, Director, Internal Boundaries, NBC, Mr Nicholas Emiowele, who was also the leader of the visiting team, appreciated the warm reception accorded them by the State Government, as well as the support the State has been given to NBC.

“Your Excellency, let me start by acknowledging with appreciation the cooperation and support of Ondo State Government to NBC in our activities involving the State”.

“We have partnered with you on some of the activities undertaken with respect to the common Interstate boundaries with your neighbours….we intend to make further progress on the emplacement of pillars on the required sector of the boundary”, he said.

Speaking further, Mr Emiowele said, “it is important that all the Communities within the specified 500m buffers from the coastline must be located and captured in the data bank of the Communities to be gazetted, for them to benefit adequately from the provisions of the Act”.

“A previous survey had identified some of these communities, but it is imperative that the Commission, in conjunction with the Ondo State Boundary Commission, do a thorough compilation that can be defended”.

“That is why we wish to request that Your Excellency kindly directs the State Boundary Commission to interface with the affected Local Government Areas so as to sensitize and enlighten the affected communities on this very important assignment and to also solicit their cooperation and support when we go on the ground to physically identify and verify their actual locations”.