According to them, security remains a pressing concern as Nigeria struggles with oil theft, which has continued to threaten the petroleum industry, undermining production and revenue.
Speaking at the Harbour and Ports virtual platform, the Head of Research at the Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC), Eugene Nweke, emphasised that while increased production could boost national revenue and economic growth, it also called for greater vigilance to prevent oil theft and maintain infrastructure integrity.
He highlighted the different functions of the different agencies to protect the country’s oil assets, saying the Nigerian Navy should strengthen efforts to prevent piracy, oil theft and other maritime crimes.
Nweke also urged the Nigerian Navy to collaborate with NIMASA, NNPCL and security firms like Tantita to protect the oil and gas sector assets.
Nweke said NIMASA must enforce maritime regulations and safety standards while working with security agencies and contractors to prevent oil-related and maritime crimes, accidents and environmental damage and protect oil infrastructure.
Additionally, he urged NNPCL to commit to upgrading and maintaining oil infrastructure, including pipelines, refineries, and export terminals, to enhance monitoring and efficiency and ensure long-term production stability.
He said the NNPCL must continue exploring new oil fields, optimise production from existing ones, and ensure accurate and timely reporting of oil production and revenue data.
Nweke further recommended leveraging technology such as drones, sensors, and data analytics to improve oil production monitoring, security and efficiency.
He stated that Tantita and other security contractors should continue safeguarding infrastructure and prevent oil theft by working closely with government agencies.
Nweke credited Tantita Security Services for securing oil infrastructure, which has contributed to increased production, stressing that this progress must be sustained.
“Encourage regular communication and coordination among stakeholders to ensure a unified approach to sustaining oil production growth. All the parties concerned should ensure that oil production activities are carried out in an environmentally responsible manner, with measures in place to prevent pollution and protect local ecosystems, as well as join forces to promote local content development to increase Nigerian participation in the oil and gas sector, creating jobs and stimulating economic growth,” he recommended.
On his part, the Executive Director of Operations at TSSNL and former Director at NIMASA, Captain Warredi Enisuoh, echoed the need for sustainability and cooperation to address the issues of oil theft.
“This is a good sign that the country is working to stamp out this problem. If this progress continues, Nigeria’s official production quota could rise, the Naira may strengthen against the dollar, and we might even see a reduction in petrol prices,” he added.
He also agreed that long-term success depends on unity and accountability, saying all the agencies can fix anything if they come together, “but we must let those with the torchlight lead us out of the darkness.”
