The Federal Government has approved the appointment of Waziri Onibiyo Adio, as the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
The government also approved the appointment of a new National Stakeholders Working Group, otherwise known as Governing Board for NEITI.
Adio’s appointment was with immediate effect, while the new Governing Board will be inaugurated in due course.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the Director of Press and Public Relations in Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Bolaji Adebiyi, said until the approval of his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari, Adio was a Communication Consultant and Publisher of Metrolope Magazine.
Between 1995 and 2003, he held various editorial positions in Thisday Newspaper and was Special Adviser, Research and Strategy, Office of the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria from August 2003 to October 2004.
He was appointed Communication Specialist by United Nations Development Programme, in 2004, a position he held until 2007 when he left to serve as Director of Communications, NEITI from May 2007 to June 2008.
Adio graduated with a BSc. (Mass Communication) from the University of Lagos in 1992, and obtained MSc (Journalism) Degree from Columbia University, New York, United States of America in 1999.
He also holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA, 2009
The new Governing Board of NEITI has the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi as Chairman.
Other members are Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance; Group Managing Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation; President, Miners Association of Nigeria and a Representative of the Civil Society Organisations to be elected by the organisations.
Others are President, Nigeria Mining and Geosciences Society; President, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Hannatu Musa Musawa (Journalist), representing North-West geo-political zone; Lawan Gana Lantaiwa (Consultant), representing North-East geo-political zone; Bernard B. A. Ver (Accountant), representing North-Central geo-political zone and Mrs. Anne Adaeze Onyekwena, representing South-East geo-political zone.
The list also included Emmanuel Chiejina (Lawyer), representing South-South geo-political zone; Gbenga Onayiga (Journalist), representing South-West geo-political zone.
