NEITI decries secrecy in Nigeria’s energy sector

Executive Secretary,  Nigeria Extractive Industries  Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, has decried the secrecy in the energy sector,  pointing out that the global energy transition towards cleaner fuels, gas optimisation, and renewable energy requires openness, responsibility, and innovation at every stage of the value chain.

According to him,the era of secrecy in resource governance is over, adding that at NEITI, the philosophy is clear and uncompromising: “Data builds trust, and trust drives investment.”

He stressed that  the path to Nigeria’s sustainable energy future rests on three interlocking values of transparency, accountability, and sustainability.

Orji disclosed  this during the NAEC Energy Conference 2025, themed: Nigeria’s Energy Future: Exploring Opportunities and Addressing Risks for Sustainable Growth,” held in Lago.

He argued that transparency was not a bureaucratic exercise, but an economic imperative that attracts capital, technology, and partnerships.

“As Nigeria positions gas as its transition fuel and renewable energy as its future, governance must keep pace with innovation. Our energy future must rest on verifiable data, open contracts, measurable emissions, and accountable institutions,” he said.

According to him, NEITI 2021–2022 Oil and Gas Industry Reports revealed that Nigeria earned $23.04 billion in 2021 and $23.05 billion in 2022 from the sector.

He added the organization also identified outstanding remittances of N1.5 trillion owed to the federation by some companies and government agencies, saying there were funds that could significantly support energy infrastructure, education, and healthcare if recovered.

“Our findings also exposed the devastating cost of poor accountability. In 2022 alone, Nigeria lost 13.5 million barrels of crude oil valued at $3.3 billion to theft and sabotage. That is revenue that could have financed a full year of the federal health budget or provided energy access to millions of households,” he said

According to him, these losses were not just economic, but represented broken trust, institutional weaknesses, and missed opportunities for national progress.

“This is precisely why transparency and accountability are not optional. They are existential,” he said.

For this purpose, he disclosed that NEITI  evolved  from an auditing agency to a governance reform institution.

“We have institutionalised regular audits of oil, gas, and solid minerals sectors, tracking production, payments, and remediation; developed Nigeria’s Beneficial Ownership Register, unmasking the true owners of over 4,800 extractive assets, and helping government combat corruption and illicit financial flows; launched the NEITI Data Centre — a national open-data infrastructure that provides real-time public access to industry information.

Others are strengthening partnerships with NUPRC, NMDPRA, and NCDMB to promote transparency in licensing, metering, and host community trust management; and introduced the Just Energy Transition and Climate Accountability Framework, to ensure that Nigeria’s shift to cleaner energy is transparent, inclusive, and fair.

“These are not ceremonial milestones. They are practical governance instruments designed to make transparency the DNA of Nigeria’s extractive sector.

“NEITI envisions a sector where every dollar is traceable, every contract is public, every decision is transparent, and every Nigerian citizen can see how natural resources translate into national prosperity,” orji said, adding that the organization is committed to ensuring that every barrel produced, every cubic foot of gas commercialised, and every kobo earned contributes to national development are in full public view.

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