PIA: Oil Community Petitions Reps, Others Over Exclusion From HCDT Fund

Esit Eket Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State, one of the oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta, has protested its alleged exclusion from the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT) fund by Tulcan Energy Resources Limited.

The community said the operator of Oil Mining License (OML 14) in the Ntak Inyang area of Esit Eket has commenced exploration activities, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), but failed to include the affected communities in the HCDT structure as required under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

The protest is being led by the Network Advancement Program for Poverty and Disaster Risks Reduction (NAPDDRR), a civil society organisation focused on environmental and humanitarian justice in the Niger Delta.

Speaking on the development, the Executive Director of NAPDDRR, Hon. Emem Edoho, confirmed that a formal petition has been submitted to the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities, chaired by Rt. Hon. Dumnamene Robinson Dekor.

He said the committee had already responded, assuring that a tripartite engagement involving the lawmakers, the company and the community would be convened to address the dispute.

The petition, titled: “Protest Over Non-Inclusion of Esit Eket Host Community in Tulcan Energy HCDT,” accused the company of excluding Ntak Inyang and Ine Akpautong communities from the host community development framework.

According to the group, the OML 14 Stubbs Creek operations are historically located within Unyenghe, Ntak Inyang and Ine Akpautong communities in Esit Eket LGA, making their exclusion inconsistent with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the NUPRC Host Communities Development Regulations 2022.

“The Petroleum Industry Act 2021 and the NUPRC Host Communities Development Regulations 2022 mandate that settlors establish HCDTs to ensure host communities benefit directly from petroleum operations in their area,” Edoho said.

He alleged that Tulcan Energy Resources Limited had excluded the affected communities from the composition of its HCDT, describing the action as contrary to the intent of the PIA, which seeks to address historical neglect and promote equity in oil-producing areas.

Edoho further argued that the situation was inconsistent with existing precedents, noting that other oil joint ventures, such as Seplat Energy/NNPC JV, had included multiple local government areas under their HCDT arrangements.

He also referenced the Universal Energy/Savannah Energy HCDT structure, which reportedly included Esit Eket and Mbo LGAs in line with historical legal interpretations relating to Stubbs Creek operations.

On behalf of the affected communities, he called for an urgent review and revision of the Tulcan Energy HCDT composition to include Ntak Inyang and Ine Akpautong communities.

The group also urged the House Committee on Host Communities to ensure compliance with Sections 235–240 of the PIA 2021 and relevant NUPRC regulations, describing the exclusion as a “miscarriage of justice and economic marginalisation.”

Copies of the petition were also sent to the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Tulcan Energy Resources Limited, federal lawmakers representing the area, and the House Committee on Petroleum at the state level.