Improving Extractive Industry Governance: Implementating the Voluntary Principles to Promote Human Rights in Nigeria and Ghana — Baseline Study

Global Rights’ project Improving Extractive Industry Governance: Implementing the Voluntary Principles to Promote Human Rights in Nigeria and Ghana was designed to: increase the level of knowledge and understanding of the VPs in Nigeria and Ghana; enhance dialogue and shared approach to security between host communities, companies, and governments using the VPs; and create a sustainable and broad-based local constituency to advocate that the governments of Nigeria and Ghana and extractive companies join and implement the VPs. A baseline study was conducted to determine the level of knowledge, and degree of implementation of the VPs in Nigeria and Ghana.Survey data was requested from the three key stakeholder groups –communities and civil society organizations (CSOs), companies, and government bodies. Information from communities and CSOs was based on their perceptions of VPs penetration.In total, 334 community surveys were returned and analyzed; three corporate surveys and a letter were received, and Annual Reports from VPs participants operating in Nigeria and Ghana were reviewed, however we were unable to reach agreement on a modality for including company information in the analysis; no government responses were received.