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...The network unveils the action plan, addresses host communities and regulatory bodies
…Civil society organizations will implement Kobo-Collect for environmental and security monitoring
Daud Olatunji
The Resource Justice Network has trained civil society organizations in Ogun State on the use of digital tools to monitor activities and impacts in communities hosting extractive operations.
The training, organized in collaboration with the Community Education Advancement of Peace and Development Initiative, was held on Friday at CEAPDI Conference Hall, Oyebola Shopping Mall, Iyana-Cele, Adatan, Abeokuta.
The program focused on strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations to collect, document and report evidence from communities affected by oil, gas and mining activities using Kobo-Collect, a digital data collection platform.
Speaking during the programme, a member of the RJN Board of Directors, Prof. Temitope Olaifa, who delivered a goodwill message on behalf of the national office of the network, appreciated the participants for their commitment to promoting accountability and transparency in the management of natural resources.
Olaifa also explained that RJN was previously known as Publish What You Pay, noting that the organization had historically focused on transparency in the environmental, mining and extractive sectors.
RJN national general secretary Professor Helen Bodunde said the network had broadened its remit to address broader issues of social justice, human rights and environmental sustainability.
According to her, the rebranding from Publish What You Pay to Resource Justice Network reflects the organization’s determination to go beyond financial and revenue transparency to ensure that communities affected by natural resource extraction benefit from the resources of their environment.
He said communities should not be left to bear the consequences of resource extraction through pollution, health problems, environmental degradation and destruction of livelihoods.
Bodunde said the network’s approach includes anti-corruption campaigns, protection of civic space, gender equity, beneficial ownership transparency and accountability in the face of the global energy transition.
He said: “The Resource Justice Network advocates for just, inclusive and equitable governance of the planet’s natural resources.”
Bodunde added that the network is committed to promoting transparency, accountability and citizen participation in the management of oil, gas and mining revenues.
The Ogun State Coordinator of the RJN, Adesina Adefolahan, subsequently presented the network’s action plan for the remainder of 2026.
The plan includes follow-up assessments of RJN members in Ogun, community sensitization and media engagement, five advocacy meetings with host community leaders, dissemination of the NEITI-FASD (Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Financial, Audit and Sectoral Data) report, and at least two media engagements on resource justice in the state.
The network also plans to conduct additional Kobo-Collect debriefings and training for civil society organizations as part of its monitoring activities.
Adefolahan explained that community monitoring would involve citizens in independently monitoring oil, gas and mining operations, monitoring the effects of mining activities and creating a bridge between host communities, companies and regulators.
He said community observers will play an important role in environmental monitoring, safety surveillance, data collection and reporting.
Their responsibilities, he said, could include monitoring air and water quality, identifying hazards, assessing structural safety, issuing emergency alerts, and documenting environmental and other impacts of mining activities.
Adefolahan said future community observers should possess basic literacy, the ability to use mobile technology and a commitment to neutrality.
It identified participation and inclusiveness, neutrality and credibility, technology and data ethics, human rights and environmental justice as some of the key skills required of community monitors.
Other skills, he said, include knowledge of technical monitoring tools, extractive sector governance frameworks such as the NEITI Act and the Petroleum Industry Act, environmental impact assessment regulations, conflict resolution, field safety, data ethics, conflict-sensitive negotiation and labor laws.
Participants were then guided through a step-by-step hands-on session on Kobo-Collect.
CSO representatives were taught how to access digital forms, enter field information, complete questionnaires, and submit collected data electronically.
The practical session was designed to improve the capacity of civil society organizations and community observers to generate credible field data that can be used for advocacy, engagement with regulators and evidence-based reporting.
At the end of the meeting, members of the RJN network in Ogun agreed to begin the implementation of the action plan by carrying out support visits to two traditional rulers in the host communities of the state in September 2026.
The proposed visits are expected to strengthen engagement with traditional institutions and deepen community participation in monitoring resource extraction and its impact on host communities.
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