Nigerian Civil Society Leader Joins Global Resource Justice Network Board

Tijah Bolton-Akpan, a prominent civil society figure and executive director of Policy Alert, has joined the global board of the Resource Justice Network (RJN), formerly known as Publish What You Pay. Bolton-Akpan will serve as the Anglophone West Africa representative, a role he officially assumed last month.

In his new capacity, Bolton-Akpan will collaborate with other African representatives to influence global policies promoting transparency, accountability, and fair governance of Africa’s natural and energy resources. A key focus will be ensuring that local communities, where these resources are extracted, receive direct benefits.

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I look forward to interesting times working to help shape global policies and processes that advance fair, accountable, and people-centred governance of Africa’s natural and energy resources, ensuring that the communities from which these resources are extracted are the primary beneficiaries.

"I look forward to interesting times working to help shape global policies and processes that advance fair, accountable, and people-centred governance of Africa’s natural and energy resources, ensuring that the communities from which these resources are extracted are the primary beneficiaries," Bolton-Akpan stated. He also expressed gratitude to outgoing representatives and members of the RJN for their support and confidence.

Bolton-Akpan's organization, Policy Alert, has a history of advocating for fiscal transparency and environmental justice in Nigeria’s Niger Delta. His appointment to the RJN board signifies a continued commitment to these causes on a global scale, aiming to foster equitable resource management across the continent.

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I am deeply grateful to members of RJN across Anglophone West Africa for the confidence they reposed in me. I also owe special thanks to colleagues in the Nigeria chapter, whose steadfast support and belief in a resurgent RJN Nigeria made this possible.