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Speaker

Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji is the Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the National Coordinator of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) implementation in Nigeria.

A natural resource governance expert, political economist and development Communications specialist, Orji have over three decades of extensive diverse experience in the public service, international development sector, the EITI, the media and communications industry. He also worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a National Consultant and coordinated several donor-funded projects on governance and institutional reforms in Nigeria.

Orji holds a PhD in Political Economy and International Development from the University of Abuja. He is an alumnus of the J. F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, the International Law Institute, George Town University, Washington D.C, the World Bank Institute, the African Development Bank Institute, the GIZ Academy of International Development, Bad Honnef, Germany, Thomson Foundation Institute, Cardiff, UK and the Lagos Business School. He sits on the NEITI Board-the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) and is a member of the Presidential Implementation Steering Committee on the Petroleum Industry Act. He also sits on the National Steering Committee of the Open Government Partnership.

Orji currently Chairs the EITI global Contract Transparency Network with members drawn from 20 countries.