Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) has launched an independent digital platform to monitor the implementation of Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) across the Niger Delta, in a move aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and community participation in the management of funds established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The platform, known as the Independent Host Community Development Trust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Reporting and Learning Platform, was unveiled during a one-day town hall meeting on “Maximizing the Benefits of Host Community Development Trusts in Host Communities in the Niger Delta,” in Port Harcourt Rivers State.
Speaking at the event, SDN Country Director, Mrs. Florence Ibok-Abasi, said the initiative was designed to provide real-time information on HCDT implementation and support evidence-based decision-making by regulators, trust administrators, host communities and other stakeholders.
According to her, while several HCDTs have recorded significant achievements through infrastructure projects, scholarships and livelihood programmes, there is a growing need for stronger monitoring systems to sustain the gains and address existing implementation challenges.
