NEITI wants NNPC’s previous audited accounts published in accessible formats

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5 years ago

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), on Tuesday, called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to publish its previous audited accounts in open data formats.

It said this will make such reports more accessible to citizens who are the shareholders of the corporation.

Tribune Online reports that the agency’s Executive Secretary, Waziri Adio made the call in a statement issued by its Director of Communications, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, in Abuja.

He stressed the need for NNPC to strengthen and sustain its commitment to data mainstreaming and systemic disclosure.

While commending the corporation’s decision to make public its audited accounts via its website, he said this signals more openness for the oil and gas sector and for Nigeria.

He added: “When combined with the monthly reports that NNPC started publishing in 2016, this development marks a sea-change for a national oil company that used to be renowned for opacity.”

However, he urged NNPC to make this a routine practice and to mainstream transparency into all facets of its operations,

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He noted that NEITI was working closely with the NNPC in this direction through a joint committee on remediation and mainstreaming.

He explained that the committee was set up by both organisations to examine the status of legacy and other lingering issues about NNPC in NEITI’s reports over the years.

He added that it is also expected to devise action plans on systematic disclosure of information on NNPC’s operations in an open and accessible format, as well as data mainstreaming, among others.

“We do not want to be the only entity talking about and practising transparency. There is little use being an island of transparency. Our goal is for all our stakeholders to believe in and model transparency.

“To demonstrate our commitment to this new way of working, we are engaging with all covered entities bilaterally and collectively on outstanding issues and how we can further push the boundaries of openness,” he added.