The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced that multiple community development projects are being executed simultaneously across the region. It cited, as an example, before-and-after photos of a renovated school in the Obagi oil-producing community of Rivers State.
According to the Commission, the school project is just one of 536 community initiatives currently underway through the Host Community Development Trust (HCDT). Completed projects include a two-story classroom block with 18 fully furnished classrooms, the remodeling of Ogbogu Cottage Hospital, now featuring a 20-bed capacity and a new diagnostic center, and the upgrade of the Ogbogu Ultra-Modern Civic Center. Other completed works comprise road pavements in Oboburu, a bottled and sachet water factory in Amah, and the installation of gas skid plants and school renovations in the Erema and Akabuka communities.
The NUPRC stated that as of October 13, 2025, the HCDT fund had grown to ₦373 billion, in line with Section 235 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, which mandates oil companies (referred to as “settlors”) to establish HCDTs for the benefit of their host communities.
A statement issued by Eniola Akinkuotu, the Commission’s Head of Media and Strategic Communications, explained that the fund consists of ₦125 billion and $168.9 million, contributed by oil companies operating under the PIA. The law requires each company to contribute three percent of its operating expenses from the previous financial year into a trust fund maintained in a BBB-rated bank.
Although the NUPRC does not have direct access to these funds, it oversees their management through a monitoring system known as Host Comply, ensuring compliance and proper implementation in accordance with the Act.
The Commission further noted that in the past month, it had supervised the completion of more than 10 projects and flagged off another 10 under the Obagi HCDT in Rivers State, managed by TotalEnergies.