The International Board of Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) revealed that Nigeria has attained the highest rating in implementation of its standards by member countries. Waziri Adio, the Executive Secretary Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said that the West African country was among the countries that attained “Satisfactory Progress”, the highest rating of the board.

The other countries are Norway, Philippines, Cambodia, Colombia, and Senegal.

Adio went on to say that Nigeria was rated as having satisfactory progress in 29 out of 31 criteria, adding that it was only on two levels that it rated below satisfactory. “For us achieving satisfactory progress on EITI validation is not a destination, it is a journey. And the journey of continuous progress continues. Nigeria will continue to raise the bar in EITI implementation,” he said.

While speaking in Abuja, Adio said that the challenge now for Nigeria was in ensuring that “these high standards are maintained and sustained in NEITI’s interface with oil and gas and solid mineral sectors, in discharge of its mandate under the NEITI Act of 2007.”