RJN Trains Community Monitors, Demands Transparency, Accountability in Resource Governance
RJN Trains Community Monitors, Demands Transparency, Accountability in Resource Governance
By Emmanuel Iyoho
The Resource Justice Network (RJN) Nigeria has called for greater transparency, accountability and equity in the management of Nigeria’s natural resources, urging communities and civil society organisations to take a more active role in monitoring extractive activities, government projects and the implementation of public policies.
The call was made in Abuja at a One-Day Step-Down Training on Community Monitoring organised by the Resource Justice Network Nigeria, FCT Chapter, on Thursday, August 6, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots participation in governance and promote responsible management of public and natural resources.
The training, held at the Centre for Transparency Advocacy, Gwarinpa Estate, Abuja, brought together members of the network, civil society representatives, community advocates and other stakeholders who were trained on practical approaches to community monitoring, grassroots accountability and citizen engagement.
The programme featured presentations on grassroots accountability through community monitoring, the roles and responsibilities of community monitors, membership registration and the RJN Ethics Policy. Participants also shared experiences and best practices during an interactive session.
Speaking with journalists after the training, the North Central Coordinator of RJN Nigeria, Macdonald Ekemezie, said the initiative was designed to empower communities in order to monitor mining and other extractive activities taking place within their areas and demand accountability from those responsible.
Ekemezie described RJN as a coalition of civil society organisations working on issues relating to the management of Nigeria’s resources, particularly extractive resources, saying the network was part of a global movement formerly known as Publish What You Pay.
According to him, the organisation seeks to promote transparency in resource management and mobilise citizens to ask questions about how the country’s resources are being utilised.
He said RJN operates across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory through a structure comprising national leadership, a board and state coordinators.
Ekemezie said his involvement in resource-governance advocacy was motivated by the paradox of Nigeria being richly endowed with natural resources while continuing to face serious challenges associated with poor resource management and environmental degradation.
He said environmental degradation and poor management of natural resources had contributed to challenges affecting communities and the environment, stressing that Nigerians should be able to benefit from the resources naturally available in their communities.
Explaining the importance of community monitoring, Ekemezie said communities were often the most affected by mining and other extractive activities, yet residents sometimes lacked adequate information about what was being extracted from their land.
He said the training would enable community monitors to understand what was happening within their communities, ask relevant questions, document activities and hold mining operators and other stakeholders accountable.
“This is an opportunity for them to monitor exactly what is going on within their communities in terms of extraction activities, ask questions and hold those carrying out mining activities accountable,” he said.
Ekemezie also called for greater cooperation among traditional rulers, community leaders and youths, urging them to work together to protect the interests of their communities.
He warned that communities could be weakened when external interests employed divide-and-rule tactics to create disagreements among local stakeholders.
He therefore urged traditional institutions, community leaders and youths to work as an integrated group capable of engaging government authorities and extractive companies on issues affecting their communities.
The RJN North Central Coordinator further called on the Federal Government and relevant authorities to uphold the principles of resource justice, equity and transparency in the management of Nigeria’s extractive sector.
He stressed that people living in resource-rich communities should not be excluded from the benefits derived from resources found within their areas.
Also speaking, the FCT State Coordinator of RJN Nigeria, Collins Nyong, described the training as a success, saying the turnout and active participation of stakeholders demonstrated growing interest in community-based accountability.
Nyong, who is also the Senior Program Officer Youth for Change Initiative, Abuja said the programme was the first step-down training of its kind organised by the FCT Chapter, adding that similar training programmes were being conducted in other parts of the country.
He said the objective was to build the capacity of civil society organisations and members of the RJN network in the FCT, while creating partnerships around resource justice and community monitoring.
According to him, participants were expected to become community monitors, particularly in relation to activities in the extractive sector, including mining.
He explained that community monitors would serve as a link between communities and the wider public by observing activities within their areas, documenting relevant developments and ensuring that issues concerning extractive activities were properly reported.
“They are the people who serve as a link between the communities and the wider public,” Nyong said.
In his opening remarks, Nyong described community monitoring as an important tool for strengthening democratic governance and improving public service delivery.
He urged participants to apply the knowledge acquired during the training to promote transparency, responsible resource management and sustainable development in their respective communities.
Meanwhile, a participant at the training and Executive Director of the Institutional and Sustainable Development Foundation, Mr. Paul Ogwu, called for stronger capacity among civil society organisations in Abuja to enable them effectively monitor government projects, policies and regulatory agencies.
Ogwu said the emergence of a formal structure for the Abuja Resource Justice Network was a welcome development, particularly because Abuja hosts the headquarters of many government institutions and organisations.
He said strengthening the capacity of the coalition would enable civil society actors to engage policymakers and government institutions more effectively on resource governance and public accountability.
Ogwu said the role of the network should go beyond monitoring projects to tracking the implementation of government policies and the operations and reports of relevant regulatory agencies.
He urged members to consistently engage regulators and ensure that government policies were implemented according to established standards.
The Executive Director cautioned members against treating the training as an end in itself, urging them to see it as the beginning of a broader engagement with government, policymakers and other stakeholders.
He described the Resource Justice Network as part of a global coalition that had stood the test of time, stressing the need for members to take the network seriously and continually build their capacity.
According to Ogwu, the mandate of the coalition extends beyond the extractive sector to areas including climate change, forestry, agriculture, solid minerals, critical minerals and anti-corruption.
He said strengthening civil society capacity in these areas was essential not only to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals but also to building a viable country and society where citizens could benefit from responsible resource governance.
The stakeholders called for sustained citizen participation, stronger community networks and effective collaboration between civil society organisations, traditional institutions, government agencies and communities to ensure that Nigeria’s natural resources and public resources are managed transparently and in the interest of the people.
The FCT Chapter of RJN reaffirmed its commitment to building a strong network of community monitors capable of promoting transparency, accountability and fair resource governance across the Federal Capital Territory.
Participants expressed appreciation for the initiative and pledged to apply the knowledge acquired to strengthen citizen engagement, monitor public projects and promote better governance and sustainable development.
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