Oil Theft: Nigeria losing more barrels of crude oil than some OPEC members produce

Nigeria’s losses due to crude oil theft are more significant than those of some other OPEC members, the Chairman Senate Ad hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, Ned Nwoko, has said.

The senator made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Nwoko emphasised the issue’s detrimental impact, including economic damage, environmental destruction, and its impact on host communities.

He also said that it was weakening the Naira, and depriving the nation of vital revenue needed for infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social development.

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According to the senator, who represents Delta North Senatorial District, the scale of this theft is staggering, with reports indicating losses of over 200,000 barrels per day.

He said that the ad hoc committee on crude oil theft, which he chaired, recently held a two-day public hearing on the rampant theft of crude oil through illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism, and systemic gaps in the regulation and surveillance of the nation’s petroleum resources.

He said the public hearing was a pivotal step in addressing one of the nation’s most pressing challenges.

‘’Nigeria loses billions of dollars annually to crude oil theft. This is severely undermining our economy, weakening the Naira, and depriving the nation of vital revenue needed for infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social development. The scale of this theft is staggering, with reports indicating losses of over 200,000 barrels per day more than some OPEC member nations produce.

‘’This criminal enterprise fuels corruption, funds illegal activities, and devastates our environment through spills and pollution. The public hearing was not just another talk shop; it was a decisive platform to uncover the root causes of crude oil theft, bunkering, and pipeline vandalism,” he said.

He explained that it was a platform to evaluate the effectiveness of existing surveillance, monitoring, and enforcement mechanisms and identify regulatory and legislative gaps that enable these crimes to thrive.

‘’It was also to engage stakeholders, security agencies, host communities, oil companies, regulators, and experts to proffer actionable solutions; and strengthen legal frameworks to ensure stricter penalties and more efficient prosecution of offenders,’’ he said.

Mr Nwoko noted that Nigeria’s survival depended on how it tackled the menace.

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According to him, the nation cannot continue to haemorrhage resources while the people suffer. The future of Nigeria’s economy and the well-being of generations unborn depend on the actions taken today.

‘’The Senate and the National Assembly are committed to passing laws that will strengthen regulatory agencies; NUPRC, NEITI, NSA among others, as well as enhance community engagement and alternative livelihoods for Niger Delta youth,” he added.

‘’We are also committed to improving inter-agency collaboration between the military, police, NSCDC, and private security firms and enforcing transparency in crude oil lifting and metering processes.’’

He disclosed that the ad-hoc committee had commenced work in earnest since its inception by engaging forensic experts to trace and provide information on crude oil theft from the point of lifting to sales and bank transactions.

‘’This is truly yielding great results, and the ad-hoc committee will not hesitate to publish its findings in due time.

‘’Together, we can reclaim Nigeria’s stolen wealth, secure our energy infrastructure, and restore confidence in the petroleum sector,’’ he added.

(NAN)