Government agencies, investors, retailers, final users, and local community members including Teshome Nkrumah, Deputy High Commissioner, Sr. Trade Commissioner & Diplomat, Deputy High Commission of Canada, and Rosa Malango, Director, United Nations Regional Commissions, United Nations attended the 11th Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI) Conference recently.
The event also doubled as the 4th Community and Human Rights (CAHR) Awards Africa, celebrating individual and corporate heroes of community and human rights. CAHR had nine categories, two of which received an endowment of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000) each. Winners emerged from countries across Africa; Kenya, South Africa, Cameroon, and Nigeria, with the youngest recipient being 10-year-old Aileen Florence Akinyi from Kenya.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Bekeme Olowola, President, CSR-in-Action, and convener of SITEI, emphasised the importance of applauding individuals and organisations whose works, and deeds have contributed to the improvement of the quality of life and sustainability in society, saying; “In addition to the recipients of these awards, we recognise and applaud every individual, organisation, and company that made it to the shortlist. They have dedicated resources to ensuring that anomalies in their immediate community and society at large are corrected, thereby promoting inclusivity, equity, and sustainability.”
SITEI and CAHR Awards are organised by CSR-in-Action Consulting (an international sustainability-focused firm with offices in ThunderBay, Ontario, Canada, and Lagos, Nigeria), in collaboration with Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Ford Foundation, and three foremost Nigerian Ministries namely: Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, and the Ministry of Environment.
This year, SITEI Conference centred on “Holistic Inclusion in The Extractive Industries”, exploring the possible reforms in critical sectors, with a focus on how the rights of suppliers, women, youth, business, and communities’ interests are advanced.
According to Bekeme Olowola, Chief Executive, CSR-in-Action, and convener of SITEI, “Equity was the principal consideration whilst developing the theme and thrust of this conference as we sought to examine how key stakeholders can benefit from the wealth of opportunities present or that may be created within the extractive industries. The conference is designed to meet the need to develop a safe space for these critical discussions, and we are convinced this event has taken the subregion one step closer to providing the solutions to the issues faced in the sector.”
The conference featured other notable industry experts such as Idris Musa, Director General/Chief Executive, Nigeria Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency NOSDRA; Alero Onosode, Chair, Diversity Social Working Group, The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB); Olayinka Mubarak, Group Head, Solid Minerals & Metals, Bank of Industry, and Ifeoma Uz’Okpala, Group Head, ESG and Other Non-Financial Risks, Bank of Industry.
Other participating dignitaries included Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director, SpacesForChange, and Hon. Dr. Okezie Kelechukwu, Executive Director of Neighborhood Environment Watch (NEW) Foundation participated in panel discussions during the conference.
Meka Olowola, Chairman, SITEI Organising Committee, while expressing his appreciation for the support the conference received from industry stakeholders, organisations and individuals said “The SITEI conference has continued to yield tangible all-year-round impacts in the extractive industries. We’ve seen it birth initiatives such as the Community Engagement Standards, which was developed to ensure smooth and effective interactions between oil and gas companies and their host communities; Earth Woman Documentary, which was created to highlight the plight of women in extractive communities; The Corporate Sustainable Investor Report (CSIR); and the Community and Human Rights awards.”
“We look forward to deepening our commitment to inclusion during the second phase of the SITEI Earth Women program, and extending this to more underserved communities in Africa and Canada”, Olowola added.
