Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ibrahim Ramalan
Published on 2024-03-14 08:37:53
The House of Representatives recently expressed concerns over the repeated destruction of oil and gas pipelines across Nigeria. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, the Chairman of the Special Committee on Oil Theft, strongly condemned this destructive act during a meeting with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Abuja. The purpose of the meeting was to identify the root causes of oil theft in the country and come up with effective solutions to combat this menace.
Ado-Doguwa highlighted the challenges associated with operating oil and gas pipelines in Nigeria, stating that daily breaches occur not only at the pipelines but also at oil well heads, flow stations, loading terminals, and export terminals. He emphasized the lack of transparency in regulatory activities at the nation’s crude oil export terminals, raising concerns about official complicity in crude oil theft.
Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of NNPC, revealed that the corporation had recorded over 9000 infractions on its pipelines within a year. Additionally, NNPC had deactivated 6,465 illegal refineries and removed 4,876 illegal connections to pipelines out of the 5,570 discovered between 2022 and the present day.
Kyari expressed the magnitude of the issue, stating that the scale of the infraction was unimaginable, making it challenging to address effectively. He noted that crude oil theft had become a pervasive issue in Nigeria, involving various stakeholders, including those in close proximity to settlements and local government headquarters. The continuous perpetration of these crimes posed a threat to the nation’s oil production and revenue.
To tackle this challenge, NNPC has collaborated with various security agencies and private security firms to protect critical assets such as pipelines. Kyari underscored the importance of securing these assets, emphasizing that the protection of such resources should not be entrusted to non-state actors.
According to reports from the Federal Government and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), more than N4.3 trillion worth of crude oil was stolen through 7,143 pipeline vandalism incidents over a five-year period. NEITI also revealed that Nigeria experienced 7,143 cases of pipeline breakages and deliberate vandalism resulting in the theft of 208.639 million barrels of crude oil valued at 12.74 million dollars or N4.325 trillion. The country spent N471.493 billion during the same period on pipeline repairs and maintenance.
The government and NNPC are working towards implementing strategic measures to address pipeline vandalism and oil theft, aiming to safeguard the nation’s valuable oil resources and revenue. By strengthening security measures, enhancing regulatory oversight, and promoting transparency, Nigeria aims to curb the illicit activities that threaten its oil infrastructure and economy.
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