In line with the stipulations of the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021, the Ogun State Government has taken a crucial step towards identifying the shoreline communities along the Gulf of Guinea.
This endeavour marks the commencement of the Littoral Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) operationalization, executed in collaboration with the National Boundary Commission.
The objective of this initiative is to ensure that communities affected by petroleum operations receive their entitled benefits.
As per the Petroleum Industry Act, these communities are entitled to 3% of the actual annual operating expenditure of upstream companies from the previous fiscal year.
This measure aims to foster direct social and economic advantages for the communities hosting petroleum operations.
The impetus for this exercise came from an advocacy visit made earlier by the Director General of the National Boundary Commission, Surv. Adamu Adaji.
He stressed the significance of sensitizing the state about this crucial assignment to ensure the proper representation of the identified communities within the Host Communities Development Trust.
This collaborative approach highlights the joint efforts between the Ogun State Boundary Committee and the National Boundary Commission.
The Acting Surveyor General of Ogun State, who led the joint field team, shared that their primary mandate was to verify and record the Littoral Communities situated within 500 meters from the shoreline along the Gulf of Guinea.
This verification process adheres to the specifications laid out in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) for the purpose of gazetting.
The exercise itself took place in Ode-Omi, located within the Ogun Waterside Local Government area of the State.
The joint field team comprised representatives from various entities, including the Federal Government, National Boundary Commission, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission, and the Ogun State Boundary Commission.
In response to this initiative, Oba Folailu Adekunle Hassan, the Lenuwa of Ode-Omi, representing a consortium of 60 concerned communities, expressed gratitude to both the State and Federal governments.
He pledged the unwavering support of his community to ensure the success of the exercise and its overarching goals.
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