Policy Alert Launches Project to Advance Gender Equity, Accountability in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector
By Ekemini Simon
Policy Alert has launched a project designed to advance gender equity and accountability in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector.
The project tagged AGILE (Advancing Gender, Innovation, and Local Engagement in Nigeria’s HCDTs), Policy Alert in a statement says is a transformative project designed to promote gender-responsive governance in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The organisation said AGILE is funded by the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), a flagship programme of the Government of Canada, whose support underscores a shared commitment to equity, innovation, and participatory governance in Nigeria’s natural resource sector.
According to the statement, this project comes at a critical time, as the country seeks to realize the full potential of recent reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), particularly the establishment of Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs).
The statement said despite these reforms, women in oil-producing communities continue to face systemic exclusion from decision-making platforms meant to ensure equitable benefit-sharing and environmental justice.
The statement added “While HCDTs were created to empower local communities in managing petroleum derived resources, they remain overwhelmingly male-dominated. Women, who bear the greatest burden of environmental degradation, economic dislocation, and corruption, have been largely left out of processes that directly affect their lives and livelihoods.
“The AGILE project seeks to change this narrative by building the capacity of women leaders across two key oil-producing states; Rivers, and Akwa Ibom. These women will receive comprehensive training on the PIA, HCDT governance structures, environmental rights, public budget tracking, and community mobilization strategies.
“Upon completion, they will form two State Women Action Groups (SWAGs) to serve as powerful advocacy forces for transparency, inclusion, and gender justice within HCDT operations.
“Women are not just victims of oil sector injustices-they are leaders, organizers, and change agents,” said Tijah Bolton-Akpan, Executive Director of Policy Alert. “AGILE is about unlocking that leadership and ensuring that women have a real seat at the table where decisions about their communities’ futures are made.”
Policy Alert said the project will also support the development of gender accountability benchmarks for HCDTs, providing civil society and community monitors with tools to track performance and demand reforms. By combining grassroots empowerment with institutional advocacy, AGILE aims to transform HCDTs into truly inclusive and effective vehicles for sustainable development.
“For too long, women in host communities have been silenced in conversations about resource allocation and environmental accountability. With AGILE, we are not only equipping women with knowledge and tools, they are becoming architects of change. This project will shift power dynamics and ensure that gender equity is embedded in the DNA of HCDT governance” said Edidiong Dickson, the AGILE project lead.
As Nigeria continues its journey toward transparent and inclusive oil governance, projects like AGILE offer a roadmap for ensuring that no one, especially women and marginalized groups, is left behind.