Nigeria, March 13 -- 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 accountabili...