Orji’s Appointment As NEITI Boss Will Fast-Track Oil Sector Reforms-NNPC GMD

The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation has applauded the appointment of Orji Ogbonnaya Orji as the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.

The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, said that the appointment would aid continuity of the reforms currently in progress in the oil and gas industry.

Orji, who takes over from Wiziri Adio, is expected to serve for a single term of five (5) years in accordance with the provision of Section 12 (2) (a) and 6 (3) of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (Establishment) Act, 2007.

The Appointment is expected to take effect from today, Friday, 19th February, 2021.

Kyari, who described Orji as a competent technocrat, EITI expert and resource governance professional, said he has been deeply involved in NEITI and NNPC engagements on reforms of the oil and gas industry over the past decade and that the appointment was most timely.

He noted that as a supporting company of the EITI at the international level, NNPC was ready to sustain its collaboration with NEITI under Orji’s leadership in the key areas of the agency’s industry audit process, exchange of information and data, commodity trading, contract transparency, beneficial ownership, mainstreaming and overall oil and gas industry reforms under the EITI/NEITI framework.

According to the GMD, the appointment would also help to consolidate the gains so far achieved by the NNPC-NEITI Joint Committee on Remediation set up to ensure speedy implementation of all the findings and recommendations contained in NEITI Independent Audit Reports of the oil and gas industry.