Exploring multi-stakeholder initiatives for natural resource governance : the example of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI)

• Main Author: Uzoigwe, Michael Uchenna
• Published: University of Birmingham 2012
• Subjects: 338.91; HC Economic History and Conditions
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.551384

Multi-stakeholder Initiatives (MSIs) bring multiple stakeholders (usually government, business, and civil society) to a common platform to dialogue, design, and implement sustainable solutions to identified governance issues. However, what factors are likely to determine the effectiveness of MSIs? The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a global MSI, established in 2003, that seeks to improve the management of natural resource wealth in implementing countries through increased transparency. This study examines the Nigerian EITI to explore the factors that influence the organisation and effectiveness of MSIs. We find that the Nigerian EITI (NEITI) falls short of a truly multi-stakeholder initiative and hence is limited in its impact and effectiveness in improving resource wealth management in Nigeria. Four factors deduced from a combination of agency and collective action theories appear to be strong in explaining the shortcomings of the NEITI. These factors are the Nigerian structural environment, the characteristics of the stakeholders to the Nigerian extractives industry, the emergent governance structure of NEITI, and the nature of external influence on NEITI. Evidence gathered from the implementation of NEITI, demonstrates that a combination of these factors has contributed to the difficulty in achieving a truly multi-stakeholder structure and hence the limited impact of the initiative on improving resource wealth management in Nigeria.