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…as lawmakers credit surveillance efforts of Tantita for surge in oil output

By Gloria Ikibah

The National Assembly Joint Petroleum Committees have brushed aside three petitions challenging the pipeline surveillance contract, while throwing their full support behind Tantita Security Services, security agencies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The decision followed a one-day parliamentary roundtable examining pipeline security and the fight against crude oil theft, where lawmakers pointed to significant gains in safeguarding oil infrastructure.

Official figures presented at the session indicate a sharp rise in oil production, now standing at roughly 1.8 million barrels per day as of April. This marks a major recovery from 2022 levels, when output had dropped significantly at the height of widespread pipeline vandalism and theft.

The resolution came after a motion by Chairman House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream), Rep. Henry Okojie, who highlighted the role of surveillance contractors and security operatives in stabilising production and boosting national revenue.

Lawmakers credited improved monitoring and enforcement measures for curbing illegal activities in the oil sector, noting that the collaboration between private contractors and state security forces has yielded measurable results.

In his addess, Speaker of the House of Representatives,Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, drew attention to global energy pressures, pointing to instability in the Middle East and the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict as factors driving uncertainty in supply and pricing.

The Speaker who was represented by the House Leader,  Rep. Julius Ihombvere, stressed that despite the growing push for alternative energy, crude oil remains the dominant global energy source, particularly in transport, where it continues to power the vast majority of vehicles, aircraft and ships.

He also warned that disruptions such as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have triggered price spikes and supply concerns, with ripple effects on Nigeria’s economic stability.

The Speaker underscored the importance of sustained efforts to secure the country’s oil assets, noting that Nigeria’s history as an oil-producing nation has long been shaped by challenges ranging from theft to infrastructure vulnerability.

The roundtable, he noted, reflects a renewed determination by lawmakers to take the lead in addressing these longstanding issues and ensuring the sector’s resilience.

He said: “The discovery of petroleum has both earned us massive foreign exchange and resulted in environmental degradation and despair. As a result, the Niger Delta has witnessed profound agitations over the years which often resulted in pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and illegal refining activities.

“Desperate communities and weak enforcement structures created a climate of instability in the oil sector with staggering consequences.

“At some point, Nigeria was losing billions of dollars annually as between 10 to 30 percent of crude oil production was lost to theft, undermining national revenue and questioning our capacity to remain a reliable oil producer.

“It was within this context that the Federal Government introduced the pipeline surveillance contract, including the engagement of private security actors and community-based structures.

“These interventions were designed to provide security to our oil facilities, with the understanding that without the help of the communities where these pipelines and other infrastructure were located, the job of securing them would be impossible.

“In the end, the synergy of private surveillance providers, our security agencies, and community engagement, led to remarkable improvements in our daily production quotas.”

The Speaker further stated that there has been clear undeniable and compelling success stories.

“recent reports indicate that most of the illegal tapping points have been dismantled, production levels have improved significantly and oil receipts are approaching near-total delivery to export terminals, compared to the alarming losses of previous years when production sometimes plummeted to about 700 barrels per day.

“Today, largely due to these surveillance/security efforts, we have been able to ramp up production to about 1.8 million barrel per day. Importantly, the surveillance contract has been able to create direct employment for thousands of Niger Delta youths who were formerly agitators, providing a legitimate alternative to crime, and placing security back in the hands of the people who host the facilities.

“There is no doubt that we can do better. There are still a number of challenges, particularly as they concern accountability, transparency, and the effectiveness of certain surveillance frameworks.

“Recent public discourse suggests that crude oil theft still occurs at concerning levels, sometimes even under existing security arrangements. This underscores the need for continuous oversight and reform”, he added.

According to him, the National Assembly has remained at the forefront of confronting the challenges in the oil sector and has through legislation, oversight, and appropriation taken deliberate steps to strengthen Nigeria’s response to threats to our oil industry.

“We have enacted and reviewed laws such as the Petroleum Production and  Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act and other relevant statutes aimed at deterring-pipeline vandalism while emplacing stringent penalties.

“We have also worked to strengthen institutions like the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), recognizing the need for improved monitoring and environmental accountability.

“Both are the fruits of comprehensive and deliberate policy actions that were enabled by the passing of the landmark Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). Some of the provisions of this act, like the Host Community Development Trust, made Corporate Social Responsibility a legal mandate and gave host communities a direct financial stake in the profitability of the oil sector.

“Moreover, by legislating that communities forfeit their entitlement for the year if vandalism occurs in their domain, the law operationalized the concept of “shared responsibility.” Communities now police their own areas, knowing that an attack on a pipeline becomes an attack on their trust fund.

“The 10th National Assembly has continued to take bold legislative steps to institutionalize the gains of the PIA. From maintaining a rigorous oversight of the Act to ensure steady implementation, to our recent investigative hearings on oil theft, we are closing the legal loopholes that once allowed criminals to thrive.

‘Furthermore, this Assembly has exercised its constitutional mandate by probing aspects of the surveillance contract, approving critical funding for pipeline security, and insisting that crude oil theft be treated not just as an economic crime, but as a national security threat requiring coordinated action across agencies.

“In summary, we have consistently emphasized that curbing crude oil theft must be a collective responsibility, involving government, host communities, security agencies, and private operators alike”, Abbas stated.

The Speaker said the event was an  opportunity to advance the fortunes of the oil industry by consolidating on the gains made so far from the surveillance contract, while addressing existing gaps, while also

reassessing the current pipeline surveillance architecture, strengthen transparency and accountability mechanisms, deepen community engagement as critical stakeholders in protecting national assets, and align legislative frameworks with emerging realities in the oil and gas sector, particularly under the circumstances the world has now found itself.

“Let us remember that the story of Nigeria’s oil industry is not only one of challenges, but also of resilience and possibility. Let us build a system where pipelines are no longer targets, but symbols of shared prosperity; where host communities are not marginalized, but empowered partners; and where Nigeria’s oil wealth translates into sustainable national development.

“The Middle East is in turmoil, Russia is distracted, and global energy maps are being redrawn. The world is looking for energy security, and Nigeria must put itself out there as a credible alternative. We cannot afford the luxury of internal sabotage. Our message to the world is clear: Nigeria is securing its assets, stabilizing its output, and is open for business,”, he said.