Lawmakers Back Tantita, NNPCL, Security Agencies on Pipeline Protection

Nigeria's National Assembly has passed a vote of confidence on Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and other security agencies for their roles in restoring the country’s oil production.

The endorsement followed a one-day conference on pipeline security and crude oil theft organised by the Joint Committee on Petroleum Affairs at the National Assembly complex in Abuja.

At the session, lawmakers also dismissed three petitions calling for the decentralisation of pipeline surveillance contracts, noting that the petitioners failed to appear to defend their submissions.

The conference was convened amid rising agitations over the structure of pipeline surveillance agreements. Key stakeholders across the oil and gas sector, including representatives of the NNPCL, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Police Force, and Tantita Security Services, made presentations on ongoing efforts to curb crude oil theft.

Stakeholders attributed the steady recovery in oil production to improved security architecture, enhanced collaboration among agencies, and the involvement of private security firms and host communities.

They noted that Nigeria’s crude oil output, which dropped to about 900,000 barrels per day in August 2022 due to widespread theft and pipeline vandalism, has significantly rebounded.

According to the conference resolutions, current production levels have risen to approximately 1.8 million barrels per day, reflecting the impact of sustained surveillance and enforcement measures.

In a motion adopted at the end of deliberations, the joint committee expressed satisfaction with ongoing interventions and reaffirmed support for existing strategies aimed at eliminating crude oil theft and boosting national output.