Multiple sources report that Grace Taiga, a former Nigerian government official central to a substantial corruption scandal involving the British Virgin Islands-based firm Process and Industrial Developments (P&ID), passed away at the age of 75.
Grace Taiga held the position of Director of Legal Services at the Nigerian Ministry of Petroleum Resources from 2004 to 2010. During this period, she played a pivotal role in negotiating a gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA) between P&ID and the Nigerian government. This GSPA, signed in 2010, granted P&ID exclusive rights to construct and operate a gas processing facility in Nigeria.
In 2012, P&ID initiated international arbitration proceedings against Nigeria, alleging that the government had violated the GSPA by failing to provide the necessary infrastructure for the gas processing plant. The arbitration tribunal awarded P&ID $9.6 billion in damages, later increased to $11.4 billion with interest.
In 2022, a London court invalidated the damages award, citing fraud in its acquisition. The court found that P&ID had engaged in bribery of Nigerian officials, including Taiga, to secure the GSPA and win the arbitration case.
Taiga faced arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2019, with charges of money laundering and fraud. She had been released on bail and was undergoing trial at the time of her passing.
Taiga’s demise marks a significant development in the P&ID scandal. She was among the few individuals possessing firsthand knowledge of the negotiations leading to the GSPA and the subsequent arbitration proceedings. Her passing poses challenges in holding those responsible for the scandal accountable.
Furthermore, Taiga’s death complicates the prosecution of those implicated in the bribery scheme. She was a crucial witness in the EFCC’s case against several other Nigerian officials. Establishing that P&ID had engaged in bribery becomes more challenging without her testimony.
Taiga’s passing may trigger a renewed examination of corruption’s role in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The P&ID scandal is just one illustration of the extensive corruption issues that have afflicted the sector. Her demise might prompt the Nigerian government to take action to address the underlying causes of corruption within the oil and gas industry.
