Canada, Australia, Belgium Commit to Strengthen NEITI’s Open Data Initiative
The Belgian Embassy, alongside the Australian and Canadian High Commissions in Nigeria, have pledged their support for the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and its newly launched Open Data Policy.
During a visit to NEITI’s newly completed multi-million Naira Data Center in Abuja, Belgium’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt, Canadian High Commissioner Jamie Christoff, and Australian High Commissioner Leilani Bin-Juda expressed their commitment to aiding the center’s growth through skills development, training, and technical support. Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary of NEITI, guided the diplomats through the state-of-the-art facility.
The center, designed as a one-stop shop for information on Nigeria’s oil, gas, and solid minerals sectors, also archives all NEITI Annual Industry Reports since 2004. It aims to enhance transparency and fight corruption within the extractive industry, aligning with the 2023 global Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative (E⅘ITI) Standards.
Dr. Orji emphasized the importance of international cooperation, particularly as Nigeria faces challenges from the global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. He noted that partnerships like these are vital to supporting reforms in Nigeria’s extractive sector, using evidence-based data and technical expertise.
The diplomatic representatives lauded the center as a critical step towards strengthening governance in Nigeria’s natural resources sector, vowing continued collaboration to ensure the success of NEITI’s initiatives.
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