The federal government has urged the host communities to leverage on 3% Host Communities Development Trusts (HCDTs) to boost oil and gas production in the country as about N300 billion has so far been paid to about 140 HCDTs registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, disclosed this in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, over the weekend during a one-day seminar organised by First E&P, a leading indigenous exploration and production company and KEFFESO Host Community Development Trust (KHCDT), with support from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
He also urged them to chart a pathway to sustainable growth and prosperity in oil and gas host communities and peaceful operations of oil and gas companies.
He said the forum provided a platform to share experiences, identify and deliberate on common challenges and appropriate solutions that would lead to increased crude oil production and sustainable development in the communities as envisaged under the PIA.
