By Emmanuella Oghenetega
The Federal Government has inaugurated an Inter-Ministerial Committee to drive operationalisation and management of Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs).
This will be in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The inauguration took place yesterday in Abuja and was presided over by the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Ministry of Regional Development.
In her address at the inauguration ceremony, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Patience Oyekunle, underscored the importance of the committee in advancing the implementation of HCDTs and ensuring that benefits accrue meaningfully to host communities.
She noted that the inauguration builds on a series of engagements convened by the Ministry since 2025 to deepen collaboration among key stakeholders.
Oyekunle disclosed that three inter-ministerial meetings had been held so far, with the most recent in February 2026 involving the Ministry of Regional Development, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
Noting that, these engagements were aimed at reviewing the status of HCDTs implementation and harmonising institutional perspectives across relevant Ministries and regulatory bodies.
Providing further insight, she highlighted updates presented by the NUPRC, which reflected measurable progress in the implementation process. She added that regulatory oversight is being strengthened through the Host Community Digital Portal, a platform designed to track incorporation progress, remittances, approvals, compliance levels, and project execution milestones.
Field verification exercises and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, she noted, have also been integrated into the oversight framework to ensure transparency and accountability.
The Perm Sec further revealed that, following extensive deliberations at previous meetings, the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, approved the constitution of the Inter-Ministerial committee to act in alignment with the PIA regulations, emphasizing that the Committee is designed to function strictly as a collaborative and advisory body, tasked with monitoring the operationalisation and management of HCDTs, while providing policy guidance and coordination support without directly executing projects.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Regional Development, Dr. Mary Ada Ogbe, acknowledged the progress recorded so far and expressed optimism that members of the committee would apply themselves diligently to ensure success.
The Committee’s Terms of Reference centre on facilitating inter-agency collaboration and serving as an advisory platform for effective information sharing on HCDTs implementation. It is also mandated to promote transparency, accountability, and impactful interventions that deliver maximum benefits to host communities, while ensuring that HCDT structures are properly constituted with genuine community representation.
Additionally, the Committee will assess HCDT-funded projects and recommend necessary enhancements, coordinate with relevant Ministries and development commissions to prevent duplication of programmes, and submit periodic reports to Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil) and the Minister of Regional Development for onward transmission to the President.
Membership of the Committee comprises the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources as Chair, and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Regional Development as Co-Chair. Other members include Directors from key departments of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, representatives of the Ministry of Regional Development, as well as representatives of the NUPRC, NMDPRA, and Regional Development Commissions while the Upstream Department of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources will serve as the Secretariat.