Abuja: Sen. Ned Nwoko, the Chairman of the Senate Ad hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, says Nigeria must implement a robust technological framework to curb crude oil theft in the country. Nwoko, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region had long plagued the nation, resulting in severe economic losses, environmental degradation, and national insecurity. He said as a country heavily reliant on oil revenues to fund its budget and development, it was imperative that its national assets were treated with the seriousness they deserve, adding that it was time to reclaim control of its oil assets.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Nwoko advocated for the deployment of AI-Powered Surveillance ranging from drones to predictive analytics to monitor the nation’s pipelines and facilities. He also advocated for the strengthening of the country’s regional security, noting that oil theft thrives in insecurity. Parallel investment in regional peace and stability is crucial, he suggested, emphasizing the importance of incorporating host communities into the system, thus giving them a sense of belonging in the oil and gas sector by engaging them in meaningful infrastructural development.
Nwoko highlighted the need for collaboration with tech firms, asserting that Nigeria must engage global and local tech companies with proven capacity to deliver real-time monitoring and risk detection. He also stressed the importance of institutional commitment to curb crude oil theft, stating that NNPCL and other stakeholders must be held accountable. He emphasized that monitoring should not just be technological but must include institutional transparency. Adopting Saudi Arabia’s corporate social responsibility method in collaborating with the oil and gas host communities would also help tackle crude oil theft.
According to the Chairman, Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, Nigeria can no longer pretend not to know the cause or the cure of its problems. He called for intentional, patriotic, and honest efforts to emulate nations whose progress is not mythical but practical. He urged the NNPCL and various international and national oil companies (IOCs and NOCs) operating in the sector to act decisively, under the supervision of patriotic leadership, to adopt advanced technological systems to protect oil infrastructure and deter sabotage.
Nwoko noted that in 2022, the then Group Managing Director of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, assured Nigerians of efforts to adopt a model similar to that of the Saudi Aramco to combat oil theft and pipeline vandalism. He stated that Kyari had admitted that while Nigeria’s system was not yet as advanced as Aramco’s, the goal was to eventually match their level of sophistication. Nwoko lamented that the nation is still far from that benchmark and called for courage to address the issue effectively.
He concluded by stating that half-measures are insufficient and emphasized the need for meaningful steps to rescue Nigeria from economic sabotage. He urged learning from countries that have successfully secured their oil and gas infrastructure and adopting their strategies and technologies.