By Ayomide Otitoju
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bashir Ojulari, has warned that crude oil theft in Africa is driven by specialised international and continental syndicates exploiting security loopholes across the region.
Ojulari made the remarks on Monday at the opening of the Africa Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. He called for greater collaboration and synergy among African militaries to combat the problem, which he described as a continental security challenge rather than a purely local issue.
“Crude theft and its attendant illegal activities are by no means a purely localised occurrence; rather, these operations involve specialised international syndicates that take advantage of gaps within state, national, and continental security architecture to conduct illegal activities,” Ojulari told a gathering of defence chiefs from across the continent.
The NNPCL chief, however, noted that crude theft and pipeline vandalism in Nigeria’s Niger Delta have significantly reduced, crediting the efforts of security forces and intelligence agencies.
“Security forms a key pillar of the energy business and therefore plays a very important and strategic role in achieving national, regional, and continental energy security goals,” he said. “Today, I can proudly report that our pipelines and terminals’ receipt of crude oil, which once dropped to as low as 20 to 30 percent, is now approaching 100 percent due to the support of security forces and government agencies.”
Ojulari emphasised that continental forums such as the defence chiefs’ conference should be sustained to strengthen joint strategies against transnational threats.
The event was attended by top dignitaries, including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed; Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu; National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu; Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray; African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Youssouf; former UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari; and Federal Inland Revenue Service Chairman Zacch Adedeji.
