The Niger Delta Accountability and Resource Protection Network (NDARPN) has strongly rejected allegations made by the House of Representatives Committee on the South South Development Commission regarding the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
Watchdog Challenges Political Narratives
In a statement released on Friday in Port Harcourt, the oil and gas monitoring group described the committee's claims as "sensational, misleading and potentially damaging" to the investment stability that the PIA has been building. Comrade Ebikabo West, the president of NDARPN, emphasized that the implementation of the landmark legislation by regulatory bodies has been both impactful and more transparent than any framework that existed before the PIA came into effect.
The House of Representatives committee had alleged that Nigeria's failure to properly implement key PIA funds had deprived the Niger Delta region of over ₦1 trillion in development resources. However, NDARPN categorically refuted this assertion, warning lawmakers against making political statements that could erode investor confidence or disrupt the delicate progress achieved so far.
Transparent Implementation Underway
According to West, the host communities' development provisions of the PIA are being effectively and rigorously monitored. "The regulatory framework now ensures that communities benefit directly, with clear oversight and traceability," he stated during the press briefing held on November 28, 2025.
The NDARPN president explained that the PIA created enforceable obligations that regulators are now tracking with much stronger compliance mechanisms than existed before the legislation. He added that the narrative of "non-implementation" ignores verifiable progress across host communities and environmental management initiatives throughout the oil-producing region.
Rebuilding Investor Confidence
West also highlighted that Nigeria is steadily rebuilding the confidence of multinational oil companies that had previously exited the country due to years of regulatory instability and conflicting directives. "After decades of uncertainty, Nigeria now has a stable legislative and fiscal environment," he noted.
The accountability network emphasized that it is crucial to allow the relevant agencies to carry out their mandates strictly within the dictates of the PIA without being dragged into political theatrics that could jeopardize the gradual return of investor confidence to Nigeria's oil and gas sector.
While acknowledging the importance of the National Assembly's oversight role, NDARPN stressed that such oversight must be evidence-based and not driven by assumptions that could create confusion or tension in the critical economic sector.
"What the Niger Delta needs is consolidation, not disruption," West concluded. "Let the institutions empowered by the PIA continue their work without undue pressure. That is the surest path to accountability, environmental protection and sustainable development."
