In a chapter in the newly-published book, Fuelling the World – Failing the Region?, RWI Nigeria program coordinator Dauda Garuba discusses the role of EITI in Africa's Gulf of Guinea region. Dauda examines the initiative's contributions to better governance of oil and gas, and the challenges it presents.
Published in November by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the book includes analyses of oil and gas governance in the Gulf of Guinea by multiple authors, addressing the region’s current global position, and the potential for innovative solutions to the paradox that links resource wealth with weakened development, security and governance.
Speaking from years of experience as an expert on Nigerian governance issues (though not in his Revenue Watch capacity) Dauda has contributed a chapter, “Is There Need for EITI Reloaded? An Assessment of the EITI Process,” that describes EITI's achievements within Nigeria's comprehensive economic reform agenda. Despite this progress, there are still many proverbial rivers to cross, among those he cites are the continuing challenge of translating transparency efforts into accountability; the diversity of EITI criteria, which hinders simple comparisons of country performance; and EITI's focus on revenues, without a corresponding interest in expenditures.
Dauda recommends a reassessment and broadening of EITI objectives as the Nigeria program enters its critical validation phase, including poverty reduction, growth and underdevelopment, budget monitoring/tracking, contract transparency, adherence to international financial reporting standards and stronger linkages with initiatives such as the Africa Peer Review Mechanism of New Partnership for Africa Development.
A complete PDF of the book is available for download here.
