The House of Representatives is considering a bill to establish a special agency that will oversee the decommissioning and cleanup of oil installations across the country.

Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum (Upstream), Alhassan Ado Doguwa, disclosed this at a meeting with members of his committee in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said the move has become necessary following growing concerns from oil-producing communities about the environmental and economic impact of abandoned oil facilities.

Doguwa said, “This issue of decommissioning has become a major topic among host communities. The Speaker himself has set the tone on the floor of the House for the need to establish a statutory commission to regulate and monitor this process,”

He disclosed that five bills are under consideration by the Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft, which would soon be presented on the floor of the House as committee-sponsored bills.

These bills, Doguwa noted, would be sponsored collectively by committee members, reinforcing the unity and seriousness of the legislature in addressing the menace of oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

He described the Special Committee on Crude Oil Theft as one of the most important in the 10th House of Representatives, given its direct link to the economic lifeline of the nation.

The lawmaker expressed appreciation to the House leadership for granting the committee an uninterrupted mandate to operate for the entire tenure of the current assembly.

“This committee, by the wisdom of the House leadership, is entrusted with a continuous mandate throughout the life of the 10th Assembly because of the critical nature of our jurisdiction,” Doguwa said.

“We are dealing with the economic mainstay of the country, and it is important that this committee continues without the usual four- or six-week reporting deadlines.”

He noted that the committee’s work aligns with the concerns of President Bola Tinubu, who has consistently expressed worry over the persistent attacks on oil-producing facilities and the insecurity plaguing oil-producing communities.

Doguwa revealed plans to hold a joint meeting of both committees, citing the overlapping nature of their jurisdictions.

He explained that while one focuses on crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism, the other oversees crude drilling and exports to the international market.