PIND launches platform to address host community trust gaps

The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta has launched a national multi-stakeholder platform to address governance gaps in Host Community Development Trusts and improve the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act in the Niger Delta.

 The platform, inaugurated in Port Harcourt, brings together host communities, state governments, regulators, oil companies, civil society organisations and development partners to promote transparency, accountability and sustainable development in oil-producing communities.

 According to a statement, the platform, established under PIND’s CONNECT Project in partnership with the Ford Foundation, seeks to strengthen stakeholder collaboration through structured dialogue, evidence sharing and coordinated action.

 The initiative will focus on improving HCDT governance, regulatory cooperation, community participation, climate-responsive development planning and conflict management.

 Speaking at the inauguration, the Executive Director of PIND, Mr Sam Daibo, said the platform would prioritise practical actions and measurable development outcomes rather than prolonged discussions.

 “The real test of this platform will be what happens after today, whether stakeholders follow through on agreed priorities, share evidence, resolve issues early and improve development outcomes for host communities,” Daibo said.

 He said PIND would provide secretariat and technical support, while members would drive the platform’s activities through active participation, leadership and accountability.

 The platform is expected to help stakeholders address challenges affecting the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act’s provisions on host-community development and improve the delivery of projects funded through HCDTs.

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 The CONNECT Project builds on lessons from PIND’s Bridges Project and seeks to expand approaches that promote community-led development.

 Its priorities include establishing national and state-level stakeholder platforms, strengthening engagement with government agencies and regulators, incorporating climate and environmental sustainability into Community Development Plans, and improving monitoring and evaluation systems.

 Prof. Obafemi Ajibola, who delivered the stakeholder response at the inauguration, said sustained collaboration would be critical to translating the PIA’s provisions into tangible development outcomes for host communities.

 “No institution or stakeholder group can close these gaps alone. This platform gives us a shared mechanism to surface challenges, learn across sectors and agree who will do what and by when to strengthen trust, accountability and delivery,” Ajibola said.

 The platform will operate through a plenary, a steering committee and technical working groups with defined timelines. PIND will serve as its secretariat, coordinating activities, documenting decisions and tracking progress on agreed actions.

 The initiative will also organise state-level engagements and technical reviews as the CONNECT Project progresses, with the aim of strengthening institutional coordination and improving development planning across the Niger Delta.