The Delta State House of Assembly has passed a landmark bill requiring all oil companies operating within the state to contribute a minimum of 2% of their annual operating profits into a Community Health Infrastructure Fund (CHIF), to be used exclusively for the construction and equipping of primary healthcare centres in oil-producing communities.
The bill, sponsored by the member representing Ughelli North constituency, passed with 23 votes in favour and four abstentions, following months of advocacy by civil society groups and community health workers who documented the severe healthcare deficits in communities adjacent to oil infrastructure.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, described the passage as a historic step in ensuring that the communities that bear the burden of oil production receive a fair share of its benefits in the most direct and life-saving way possible.
However, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has raised questions about whether a state assembly has the constitutional authority to impose financial obligations on oil companies whose operations are governed by federal law, suggesting a potential legal challenge ahead.
The bill now awaits the Governor assent. If signed into law, Delta State would become the first Nigerian state to legally mandate direct community health contributions from petroleum operators.
