Nine Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs) operating in oil-producing communities of Akwa Ibom State recorded their strongest performance in governance and accountability but lagged significantly in gender inclusion and energy transition preparedness, a new assessment has shown. The findings are in the inaugural Host Communities Development Index, titled “Beyond Tokenism: A Gender and Innovation Ranking of Host Community Development Trusts in Nigeria,” which Policy Alert launched on 9 March at the 2026 Host Communities Development Forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The index evaluated 18 HCDTs across Akwa Ibom State and Rivers State, assessing their performance across four pillars: governance and accountability, gender and social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and preparedness for the global energy transition. Among the nine trusts assessed in Akwa Ibom, the NNPC/Seplat Joint Venture (JV) EMOIMEE Host Communities Development Trust emerged as the top performer with a score of 58 per cent. EMOIMEE is an acronym for Eket, Mkpat Enin, Onna, Ikot Abasi, Mbo, Esit Eket and Eastern Obolo, which are the local government areas covered under the Trust. NNPC/Seplat JV Ibeno HCDT came second in the ranking, while the Ekid HCDT operated by Frontier/Savannah Energy came third. The Incorporated Trustees of BOPANE Oil Fields by TotalEnergies emerged fourth. BOPANE is an acronym for Bonny, Opobo, Andoni, Nkoro and Eastern Obolo. The study also assessed the Eastern Obolo cluster of the BOPANE Trust, the only cluster in Akwa Ibom State. Other Trusts, listed here according to their ranking, are Network Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited – Ibeno Clan Host Communities Development Trust, Esit Eket/Mbo HCDT by Savannah/Sinopec, Abana HCDT by Moni Pulo Limited, Efiat Mbo HCDT by Oriental Energy Resources, and Royal Mbo HCDT by Antan Producing Limited. Governance gains, inclusion gaps According to the report, most of the trusts performed relatively well on governance and accountability metrics. However, gender equality and social inclusion remained one of the weakest areas across the cohort. Despite topping the overall ranking, EMOIMEE HCDT was ranked seventh in gender and social inclusion, with the index noting a gap between the trust’s ambitions and its achievements. “Across Board of Trustees composition, Management Committee representation, Advisory Committee membership, and the gender-responsiveness of project design, the Trust has not yet reached the inclusion threshold expected of an institution in the latter half of its four-year tenure,” the report stated. In contrast, Ekid HCDT, which ranked third overall, recorded the best performance in gender and social inclusion, among the trusts assessed. The index noted that the trust’s Community Development Plan aligns strongly with gender equality principles and includes substantive empowerment programmes for women. “EKID’s GESI performance is among the most encouraging in this cohort, and reflects a Trust that has moved beyond treating inclusion as a language requirement,” the report said. However, the report added that women’s participation in community meetings and contracting processes still remains limited. Environmental concerns The report flagged environmental sustainability as a major concern in several trusts serving oil-impacted coastal communities. Two trusts — Esit Eket/Mbo HCDT and Royal Mbo HCDT — recorded zero scores across all environmental sustainability indicators, despite operating in areas heavily affected by oil exploration and coastal degradation. By contrast, Efiat Mbo HCDT, one of the newest trusts, was commended for prioritising a coastal embankment project aimed at addressing erosion and sea-level threats affecting its communities. Youth largely excluded The report stated that young people are largely excluded from executive governance structures of the trusts, even though they constitute a majority of the population in host communities. It stated that while the youth appear in advisory roles and are often targeted by development programmes, their representation in decision-making bodies remains marginal. “With the median age for these communities under 25, such a blindspot amounts to throwing a potential demographic dividend to the winds,” the report noted. Energy transition readiness low The report stated that one of the most sobering finding concerns preparedness for a global shift away from fossil fuels. It said across all 18 trusts assessed in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State , the study found limited investment in renewable energy, low-carbon livelihood skills, and transition-related economic diversification. The report said even trusts with the strongest early engagement, including the BOPANE trust supported by TotalEnergies in Akwa Ibom, they are yet to develop comprehensive programmes that equip host communities to participate in a future green economy. The report said none of the trusts assessed has developed a comprehensive energy transition strategy. Accountability tool Presenting the report, Policy Alert’s Executive Director, Tijah Bolton-Akpan, said the index was created to strengthen transparency and accountability in the emerging HCDT ecosystem established under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). “The promise of the PIA was that host communities would finally have a structured and transparent mechanism for deriving some benefits from the resource extraction happening in their backyards,” he said. “The HCDT Index helps us measure whether that promise is being fulfilled. Where Trusts are governed well, we are already seeing encouraging examples of community-driven development.” In his remarks, the Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities, Dumnamene Dekor, said the National Assembly would sustain oversight to ensure the PIA delivers real benefits to oil-producing communities. “HCDTs were created to correct decades of imbalance in the oil sector,” he said, adding that initiatives such as the index would help strengthen transparency, accountability and inclusion in the system. At the forum, awards were presented to the first, second and third ranked trusts, while Ekid HCDT received special recognition for emerging as the best-performing trust in gender and social inclusion.