More than 1,100 development projects are currently underway across the Niger Delta region under the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) framework, according to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The milestone was highlighted in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of the Board of Trustees for the PML 66 HCDT, established by Ingentia Energies Limited. The trust covers three host communities in Rivers State’s Ahoada West Local Government Area: Egbolom, Omelema, and Ahoada I.
Enacted in 2021, the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) serves as the legal and fiscal backbone of Nigeria’s oil sector. Under its provisions, energy companies are mandated to allocate 3% of their prior year’s operating expenditures directly to host communities. The HCDT framework empowers these local populations to select, manage, and execute projects tailored to their specific development needs.
Kingsley Ehiaguina, Assistant Director of Host Community Development Affairs at NUPRC, described the latest board inauguration as clear proof that the PIA is delivering results.
“Since the implementation of the HCDT, 163 HCDTs have been incorporated, and I can tell you that billions of naira have been remitted into the various accounts, and over 1,100 projects are ongoing across the Niger Delta,” Ehiaguina said, adding that over 200 projects have already been completed.
He praised Ingentia Energies Limited for upholding the law, while reassuring trustees that the commission will strictly enforce the oil company’s 3% statutory contributions. He also urged the newly appointed board members to maintain transparency and put their communities first.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ingentia Energies Limited, Charles Odita, noted that the trust’s formation followed extensive stakeholder consultations. He emphasised that the community-led structure shifts development control directly to the residents.
“It is then the Trust that determines what happens,” Odita explained. “So with this, we believe we are going to be making our own contribution, and then the Trust, which is made up of members of the community, will indeed decide how and what they want to do.”