By Rhoda Godwin
Abuja – Resource Justice Network (RJN) Nigeria has concluded a two-day capacity-building workshop for its newly elected state coordinators from the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, equipping them with skills to promote transparency, accountability, and community participation in Nigeria’s extractive sector.
The workshop brought together state coordinators and community activists to strengthen their capacity in community monitoring, advocacy, and accountability. Participants received practical training on how to track the social, environmental, and human rights impacts of natural resource extraction at the grassroots level. The event also featured the official inauguration of the newly elected coordinators.
Speaking during the programme, Chairman of the RJN Nigeria Board of Trustees, Dr. Muhammad Mustapha Yahaya, commended the network for deploying technology-driven tools to simplify the monitoring of extractive activities and their effects on host communities. He encouraged participants to adopt conflict-sensitive approaches while carrying out their monitoring responsibilities.
RJN Nigeria National Coordinator, Erisa Danladi Sarki, urged the participants to see themselves as advocates for transparency and justice rather than mere data collectors.
“The tool you are learning to use has been designed to generate credible, evidence-based information that amplifies community voices and informs constructive engagement with government, industry, and other stakeholders,” Sarki said.
He stressed that the quality of their observations and reports would play a vital role in exposing governance gaps and ensuring that communities affected by resource extraction benefit from the wealth generated in their areas.
Sarki also encouraged the newly elected coordinators to use the workshop as an opportunity to expand their knowledge, build stronger professional networks, and apply the lessons learned to promote accountability and inclusive governance in their respective states.
Participants were also introduced to the transition of the global network from Publish What You Pay (PWYP) to Resource Justice Network (RJN). The session highlighted the organisation’s expanded mandate, which now covers broader natural resource governance issues, including climate action, just energy transition, civic space, gender equality, and social inclusion.
RJN Nigeria, formerly known as Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nigeria, is the Nigerian chapter of the global Resource Justice Network, a civil society coalition advocating transparency and justice in natural resource and energy governance.
The workshop was supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC II) programme of International IDEA.
