PIND, Ford Foundation Strengthen Niger Delta’s Host Community Trusts
By Patience Ikpeme
The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and the Ford Foundation have officially concluded the Bridges Project, a four-year initiative advancing the implementation of Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) under Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The project culminated in a high-level Stakeholders’ Dialogue Forum, gathering over 150 participants from government, regulators, community leaders, and civil society to review progress and chart future strategies.
Launched in 2023, the Bridges Project functioned as a transformative Multi-Stakeholder Platform (MSP) promoting transparency, collaboration, and shared accountability among settlors, regulators, and host communities in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Central to this effort is the PIA’s HCDT framework, designed to ensure host communities benefit directly and sustainably from extractive activities.At the forum, PIND’s Executive Director Sam Ogbemi Daibo stressed that long-term success depends not only on compliance but also on trust and partnership.
The Bridges Project produced substantial advances in community engagement and governance, setting a model for future development efforts.
Representing the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Omolade Awah lauded both foundations for fostering evidence-based dialogue that continues to translate HCDT provisions into tangible community benefits, from infrastructure to human capital development.
Akwa Ibom State’s Commissioner Linus Nkan called for extending HCDT accountability into all Niger Delta government levels to sustain growth.As the Bridges Project ends, PIND and Ford Foundation recommit to supporting host communities through capacity building and stewardship of the MSP, aiming to embed peace and prosperity as community-driven and enduring goals for the Niger Delta.
