President Muhammadu Buhari has commenced implementation of the newly signed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) by approving a steering committee to oversee the process.
This was made known in a statement released on Wednesday 18th August 2021, by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.
According to the statement, the Petroleum Industry Act steering committee is headed by the Honourable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
Other members are: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Group Managing Director, NNPC, Executive Chairman, FIRS, Representative of the Ministry of Justice, Representative of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Natural Resources, Barrister Olufemi Lijadu as External Legal Adviser, while the Executive Secretary, Petroleum Technology Development Fund, will serve as Head of the Coordinating Secretariat and the Implementation Working Group.
“The primary responsibility of the steering committee shall be to guide the effective and timely implementation of the PIA in the course of transition to the petroleum industry envisaged in the reform program, and ensure that the new institutions created have the full capability to deliver on their mandate under the new legislation.
The committee has 12 months duration for the assignment, and periodic updates will be given to Mr President,” the statement added.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on August 16th 2021, signed the Petroleum Industry Act, after almost 20years. He signed the bill after returning from his medical trip in London on Friday, August 13th 2021.
The Petroleum Industry Act provides a legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry, the development of host communities, and related matters.
The Senate had passed the Bill on July 15, 2021, while the House of Representatives did the same on July 16, thus ending a long wait since the early 2000s.