By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has teamed up with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to improve the safety of oil pipelines in the country and rid the nation of the menace of pipeline vandalism.
This approach, according to the corporation, will enable relevant security stakeholders to live up to their expectations on protecting oil infrastructure.
Both federal government agencies will implement a new, performance-based pipeline protection system to cut down on vandalism and oil theft, which have plagued the local oil industry for decades and have been responsible in part for the excessive spills and leaks in the Niger Delta.
Spokesman of the NNPC, Mr Ndu Ughamadu, in a statement, disclosed that the two organisations made the commitment when the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari, received the Commandant General of the Corps, Mr Abdullahi Muhammadu, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.
Mr Kyari, who was represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Downstream, Mr Adeyemi Adetunji, noted that collaboration between the parties had gone a long way in ensuring uninterrupted supply and distribution of petroleum products through the pipelines and various depots.
“I want to applaud the NSCDC for contributing their quota towards protection and security of our pipelines. Their efforts have made our pipelines to be available for the transportation of petroleum products from one asset to another petroleum asset,” Kyari was quoted.
Mr Muhammadu, on his part represented by Deputy Commandant General, Mr Aminu Abdullahi, said protection and security of NNPC pipelines and oil assets were part of the constitutional responsibilities of the Corps, stressing that NSCDC would continue to do its best to send pipeline vandals out of business.
He noted that the NSCDC would declare a date of the year that would soon be announced as an anti-pipeline vandalism day, as part of efforts to create more awareness on the dangers of pipeline vandalism to the national economy.
Leaks in pipelines criss-crossing the Niger Delta are often caused by oil theft and field operators have frequently declared force majeure on exports of key Nigerian crude grades. This has hurt exports and oil revenues, which has been particularly hard on the Nigerian budget during the latest price crisis.
Pipeline vandalism has also aggravated the hostility of local communities towards the oil companies, who they’ve blamed for not creating enough jobs for the locals. This hostility in turn has been linked to the surge in militant activity in the area, which led to pipeline and export terminal bombings, and, ultimately, more force majeure closures.
Nigeria would need the help of foreign investors, and foreign investors would need assurances that their investments are secure. This is what likely prompted the pipeline security plans of NNPC and NSCDC.
