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The fourth edition of the National Extractives Dialogue (NED 2025) is set to take place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from July 30 to 31, 2025.
This significant event is being co-convened by Spaces for Change (S4C), in collaboration with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD).
Under the theme ‘Transitions, Divestments, and Critical Minerals: Charting a Just Future for Nigeria’s Extractive Sector,’ NED 2025, with support from the Ford Foundation, will bring together over 150 stakeholders from across West Africa.
Participants will include government officials, regulators, civil society representatives, host community members, academics, and the private sector.
The aim is to foster high-level, solutions-driven discussions on the future of extractive sector governance in Nigeria.
Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri, Executive Director of S4C, highlighted the “seismic shift” occurring in Nigeria’s extractive sector.
She explained that international oil companies are rapidly divesting from onshore oil assets, raising critical concerns about decommissioning, legacy pollution, and community safeguards.
Simultaneously, the increasing global demand for critical minerals like lithium and cobalt is drawing attention to Nigeria’s untapped reserves and the necessary regulatory and environmental frameworks for their development.
NED 2025 is therefore a pivotal moment to assess and redefine Nigeria’s extractive future.
The dialogue will delve into key questions such as the management of divestment processes, the protection of host communities and ecosystems, strategies to prevent past extractive injustices, and the establishment of robust, accountable frameworks for responsible extractive transitions.
Building on the legacy of past editions that have promoted community-led action, spurred regulatory reforms, and amplified marginalised voices, NED 2025 aims to not only pose urgent questions but also offer practical strategies for reform in Nigeria’s extractive sector.
