The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) with the support of OXFAM/Novib, last week went on a capacity visit to Freetown, Sierra Leone, with the purpose of improving the capacity of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), as well as interact with the state to ensure compliance in the EITI process.

CISLAC's Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said his organisation has played a critical role in ensuring that Nigeria remains the leading country within the sub-region in terms of having a legal framework for the EITI process. He stressed that the five-day advocacy visit to Freetown, Sierra Leone would open the door of transparency in the democratic governance of both countries.

Rafsanjani made this declaration in his office at the State House, while discussing with a group of CSOs from both Nigeria and Sierra Leone, led by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) on the advocacy visit to Freetown.

He said: "This advocacy/capacity visit to strengthen EITI compliance by visiting regional parliamentary houses and CSO networks in Freetown to exchange views, share experiences and agree on recommendations for addressing the challenges associated with EITI implementation process and performance in the West African sub-region will improve the capacity of the state to deliver its services and to fulfill economic and political functions that have been prominent themes in African regional organisations since the beginning of 1990.

"With the support of OXFAM/Novib, CISLAC is implementing a two-year project that seeks to scale up the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) compliance through the implementation of activities aimed towards greater information dissemination and capacity building for key legislative committees, NEITI stakeholders, civil society groups, and media outlets," he said, adding: "The capacity/advocacy visit, being sponsored by CISLAC would be extended to other African countries since the discourse derives from the fact that despite billions of revenues derived from oil, gas, metals, minerals, timber and other natural resources, citizens of more than 50 resources rich countries around Africa and the world remain steeped in poverty, slow economic growth, corruption and civil conflict."

CISLAC's Team leader, during the Capacity building/advocacy visit, Dr. Sofiri Joab-Peterside, insisted that Africa countries, though rich in natural resources such as oil, gas, and mining have tended to under-perform economically, have a higher incidence of conflict, and suffer from poor governance because of the lack of transparency in the management of the resources that accrue from the resources in the continent, some of which the negative impacts can be mitigated.

Joab-Peterside, who is the Acting Executive Director of Centre for Advance Social Science (CASS), said: "Implementing EITI in African countries would improve international credibility, and affirm that the government is committed to fighting corruption through their commitment to reconcile company payments and government revenues through a multi-stakeholder process signals a commitment to good governance."

He however said, "The investment climate in Africa countries would be enhanced by implementing the EITI, stressing that companies would benefit from the stable business environment that flows from transparency and good governance."

CISLAC programme Officer, Naomi Goyo, said "CISLAC is a non-governmental, non-profit, advocacy, information sharing research and capacity building organisation, actively engaged in legislative advocacy work since 2005 and integrated as a corporate body in 2006 to work to train and enlighten civil society on its role in policy making and the responsibilities of the legislature on existing issues affecting Nigerians."

Arguing that though EITI is a global initiative, she said "CISLAC aim is to promote revenue transparency at the local level as well as build governance capacity so as to ensure a coalition of governments, companies, civil society, investors and international organisations that set a global standard for companies to publish what they pay and for governments to disclose what they receive."

Also, National Coordinator/ Executive Director of Publish What You Pay (PWYP), Faith Nwadishi, disclosed that as 22 countries in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) faced a deadline of March 10, 2010, for completing their national validation processes, the PWYP has called for clear and consistent standards in the Initiative's response to the 20 countries which validation work unfortunately remains incomplete.

She said: "For over seven years, PWYP has worked tirelessly at making the EITI as robust as possible. PWYP members in resource-rich countries play an active role in implementing the EITI through their participation in the national multi-stakeholder group. They also play a crucial role as the local watchdogs of the EITI."

According to her, Validation is the EITI's 'quality assurance' mechanism, in which each country conducts an independent audit of the steps it has taken to meet all EITI requirements, stressing that countries are required to undergo validation two years after signing on.

She however said "Under the current EITI Rules, once the EITI Board accepts a country as a candidate country, it has two years to complete the Validation process."

Also, the Coordinator, North Central zone of Transparency International (TIM), Ezenwa Nwagwu, said: "The eight-year old EITI has broken new ground in establishing public disclosure of oil, gas and mining payments to governments as an international norm and in creating vital national platforms, where citizens, governments and companies sit together to discuss the management of these revenue streams."

According to him, CSOs in African countries should undergo continuous capacity building process, speak with one voice to be able to ensure that companies disclose what they pay, and governments disclose their receipts of such revenues so as to ensure that the citizens are able to compare the two and thus hold their leaders accountable.

Minister for Presidential and Public Affairs in Sierra Leone, Joseph Koroma, during a round table discussion with the team and that of his country, said Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) would improve investment climate in Africa by providing a clear signal to investors and international financial institutions, as well as assist in strengthening accountability and good governance.

The Minister also noted that the significance of EITI for transparency and good governance in Sierra Leone and other countries in Africa would help in promoting greater economic and political stability, as well as contribute to the prevention of conflict based around the mining, oil and gas sectors in the continent.

Also, the Senior Programme Officer, National Accountability Group in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Mrs. Saffie Koroma, called for mutual cooperation between various CSOs in Nigeria and her home country.