The federal government with the joint collaborative effort of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has launched a website that lists all the licenced owners of oil companies in the country.
The new website (bo.neiti.gov.ng) was unveiled on Dec 12, 2019
NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Waziri Adio disclosed that the website already contains a comprehensive list of the 270 licenced owners in the mining sector, 61 assets owners and 56 companies in the oil and gas sector.
“So let me say this upfront: this beneficial ownership register is not against businesses. Rather, it is for the good of businesses as it is for the good of countries, and it is for the good of civil groups, the media, and individuals. So there is nothing for anyone, especially anyone engaged in legitimate businesses, to be jittery about.
“In a short while, the beneficial ownership register for the extractive sector in Nigeria will go live. At the touch of a button, anyone with internet access can find out, for free, the owners and the ownership structure of extractive assets that are in production in Nigeria. These are the assets covered within the scope of the NEITI audits.
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“In this free electronic register, you will find the owners of 270 licences in the mining sector, and the owners 61 assets and 56 companies in the oil and gas sector. The register will continuously be updated as more information becomes available and will periodically be upgraded to allow for better user-interface.”