By Samuel Akpan
A coalition of stakeholders under the South South Initiative (TSSI) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to retain the existing pipeline surveillance framework in the Niger Delta, warning that dismantling the system could reverse the progress recorded in Nigeria’s crude oil production and security in the region.
The group made the appeal during a press briefing in Abuja, where it addressed what it described as increasing misinformation surrounding oil pipeline protection contracts currently under scrutiny at the National Assembly of Nigeria.
Speaking at the briefing,
President of TSSI, Emmanuel Iriogbe, said Nigeria’s crude oil infrastructure remains the backbone of the nation’s economy and must be adequately protected to safeguard national revenue and economic stability.
Citing statistics from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI),
Iriogbe disclosed that Nigeria lost about 619.7 million barrels of crude oil valued at approximately $46.16 billion between 2009 and 2020 due to pipeline vandalism, crude theft and illegal refining activities across the Niger Delta.
He added that the crisis worsened in 2022 when an additional 36.69 million barrels were reportedly lost within a single year, pushing the oil sector to the brink of collapse.
“At the peak of the crisis, Nigeria’s effective crude oil output dropped to about 700,000 barrels per day, far below the country’s quota under the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its installed production capacity of over two million barrels per day,” Iriogbe said.
According to him, the scale of losses also affected private investors and international oil companies operating in the region. Nigerian investor Tony Elumelu, whose oil assets produce about 58,000 barrels per day, reportedly lost as much as 97 percent of output to oil theft syndicates.
He added that multinational oil companies such as Chevron Corporation and Shell plc were forced to declare force majeure on some operations and accelerate plans to divest from onshore assets due to the worsening security situation.
Iriogbe noted that the situation began to improve after the Federal Government adopted a community-driven pipeline protection strategy that engaged indigenous surveillance firms with deep local knowledge of the terrain.
Among the companies operating under the arrangement are Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Maton Engineering Services and other regional contractors deployed across pipeline corridors in the Niger Delta.
The group explained that the initiative integrates host communities into the protection of oil facilities, creating legitimate employment for youths while discouraging involvement in illegal activities.
According to TSSI, early stages of the surveillance operations led to the discovery and dismantling of more than 4,000 illegal refining sites and crude theft canals across the region, while hundreds of illegal pipeline tapping points were also identified and sealed.
Several major trunk pipelines previously shut down due to vandalism were also restored.
These interventions, the group said, disrupted long-standing criminal networks in the Niger Delta and contributed to a gradual recovery in Nigeria’s crude oil production.
Figures presented at the briefing indicated that national output rose steadily from about 700,000 barrels per day during the crisis period to approximately 1.7 million barrels per day, bringing the country closer to its production targets under OPEC.
The group noted that the improvement has translated into increased export volumes,
billions of dollars in additional revenue and renewed investor confidence in Nigeria’s upstream oil sector. It added that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has also returned to profitability after years of losses, partly due to improved operational stability and reduced crude theft.
TSSI further stated that international reports, including OPEC’s Monthly Oil Market Reports, have consistently acknowledged Nigeria’s steady production recovery since 2022, attributing it to improved pipeline security and restoration of previously shut-in facilities.
The group also highlighted the inclusive structure of the surveillance arrangement.
It explained that when the pipeline protection contract was first awarded to Tantita Security Services, community leaders from across the Niger Delta—from Ondo to Cross River states—were brought together in Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of the Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State.
At the meeting, surveillance responsibilities were distributed across different ethnic groups and communities along the pipeline routes, with coordinators and subcontractors appointed from various regions to ensure broad participation.
TSSI said the arrangement transformed host communities into stakeholders in safeguarding national assets while promoting peace and economic engagement among youths.
However, the group expressed concern that individuals who previously benefited from crude oil theft and illegal refining are allegedly attempting to discredit the surveillance system through misinformation campaigns.
It therefore urged the Tinubu administration to resist pressure to dismantle the current framework, recommending instead that the government strengthen it or, if necessary, establish an independent panel to verify claims of improved pipeline security and increased production linked to the surveillance operations.
Drawing comparisons with other oil-producing nations, the group noted that countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Russia, Algeria, China and Canada invest heavily in protecting their oil infrastructure.
According to TSSI, no serious nation leaves the protection of its primary economic resource to chance, warning that dismantling the current surveillance system without a credible alternative could risk returning the Niger Delta to the era of militancy and widespread pipeline sabotage that once crippled Nigeria’s oil industry.
The organisation therefore called on the Federal Government and all stakeholders to sustain policies that promote stability, security and sustainable development in the Niger Delta, stressing that protecting Nigeria’s oil resources remains a collective national responsibility.
