Nigeria Must Move Beyond Transparency To True Resource Justice – Rev. Ugolor
Despite decades of oil wealth and extractive revenues, millions of Nigerians in resource-rich communities still live in poverty, a contradiction that stakeholders say can no longer be ignored.
Executive Director of the Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, made this known in Abuja at the launch of the Resource Justice Network (RJN) Nigeria 2025-2028 Strategy and Partners’ Dialogue themed, “Advancing Resource Justice in Nigeria: Towards an Ecosystem Approach.”
Ugolor said while transparency reforms such as the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) have improved public access to credible oil revenue data and strengthened accountability, transparency alone is not enough to solve the problem of resource poverty.
He noted that many Nigerians, especially those living in oil-producing communities, are yet to benefit meaningfully from the nation’s natural wealth.
According to him, the transition from the Publish What You Pay Campaign to the Resource Justice Network marks a necessary shift towards a broader framework that prioritises equity, inclusion, environmental sustainability, and fair distribution of benefits.
“If we are to effectively tackle the challenges of resource poverty in our country, the Resource Justice Campaign will undoubtedly play a pivotal role,” he said.
Ugolor who is the pioneer coordinator of the group, also commended development partners and donors for sustaining the movement over the years, urging them to continue supporting the new leadership as the network implements its 2025-2028 strategy.
He expressed confidence that the new phase would strengthen collective efforts to ensure Nigeria’s natural resources benefit all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable.
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