Ogbonnaya Orji hands over to new NEITI executive secretary Musa Adar

Ogbonnaya Orji, outgoing executive secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), has formally handed over the reins of the transparency watchdog to Musa Adar.

On November 18, President Bola Tinubu approved the redeployment of Musa Adar as executive secretary of NEITI, from his position as chairman of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).

Two days later, Orji, who was removed while out of the country for an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) event, said he was replaced in error, adding that he has alerted the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) to the oversight.

Orji served in the capacity since 2021.

Speaking during the handover ceremony on Thursday, Orji called for the completion of the review of the NEITI Act.

“As I leave office today, I do so with deep gratitude. Almost all the goals I set at the beginning of my tenure have been achieved,” Orji said.

“The only outstanding task is the review of the NEITI Act, which I am confident the new Executive Secretary is best suited to complete.

“For me, this is not a farewell, but a completion of service. It has been a profound honour to serve NEITI and lead the agency. I remain loyal to this institution and its new leadership.

“I especially thank my successor for making today’s smooth transition possible, which sets a standard for the global EITI community.”

He also acknowledged the contributions of the new executive secretary during his tenure as the chairman house committee on petroleum upstream at the national assembly.

Also speaking, Adar emphasised that a key mandate of NEITI is to promote transparency and ensure the prudent, accountable use of Nigeria’s natural resources for the benefit of all citizens.

“I am going to be part of you, I am going to lead, we are going to work together to deliver on the NEITI mandate,” he said.

‘NEITI MUST CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATE CREDIBILITY’

Adar said NEITI must consistently demonstrate credibility and professionalism in carrying out its duties.

Despite NEITI’s important role, he said many Nigerians are still not fully aware of the agency, its functions, or why it was created.

He noted that it is challenging to serve citizens who do not understand what the organisation stands for or how its work protects their interests.

Drawing from his experience as a former member of the national assembly, Adar said he was already familiar with NEITI’s mandate and functions even before the agency fully commenced operations.

Adar said this background deepened his appreciation of the work NEITI is doing today.

He pledged to leverage his legislative and oversight experience to enhance NEITI’s visibility, reinforce its institutional relevance, and ensure that its mandate is better understood nationwide.

Adar explained that for NEITI to operate effectively and fulfil its responsibilities, the NEITI Act itself must be reviewed and strengthened.

In its current form, the new executive secretary said the act does not provide the level of authority, capacity, or institutional “push” needed for NEITI to function as a strong, visible, and impactful agency that Nigerians can easily recognise and rely upon.

Adar noted that a review of the NEITI Act is essential to give the organisation the legal tools it needs to enforce compliance, deepen reforms, and effectively drive transparency and accountability across the extractive sector