The Ford Foundation has announced the launch of a $3 million fund in support of the sustainable and inclusive development of the natural resources sector in West Africa.

The Extractive Industry and Climate Change Governance Fund is a five-year initiative focused primarily on Nigeria and Ghana. Hosted by Africa Centre for Energy Policy, the fund will support civil society organizations working to address policy implementation gaps and advocate for reforms in resource governance areas including the equal distribution of revenues and benefit-sharing policies; the prevalence of resource-backed debts; efforts to promote active citizenship in resource governance; resource extraction that accounts for and mitigates the environmental and social impacts on the host communities and their inhabitants; and strengthening civic spaces within the sector.

The investment is part of the foundation’s $1 billion social bond launched in 2020 to help strengthen and stabilize civil society organizations globally during the pandemic.

“With renewed efforts toward energy transition, there is an opportunity to transform the natural resources sector toward embracing equitable governance and sustainable practices,” said Anthony Bebbington, director of Ford’s Natural Resources and Climate Change program. “An energy transition that is both low carbon and socially just will be an asset that helps economies to thrive in West Africa at the same time as it mitigates the impacts of climate change. Key to this is centering the needs of local communities affected by resource extraction and a re-envisioning of development models and energy systems that benefits communities and sustains the planet.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images / Fudfoto)