The recent reaffirmation by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) of Nigeria’s massive losses from oil theft and sabotage, amounting to N4.3 trillion between 2017 and 2022, highlights an ongoing and colossal failure in governance. This failure is compounded by criminality, complicity of state actors, and negligence by successive administrations. President Bola Tinubu must act decisively to halt this devastating hemorrhage.

NEITI’s Executive Secretary, Ogbonnaya Orji, revealed during the Nigeria International Pipeline Technology and Security Conference in Abuja that 7,143 cases of pipeline vandalism were recorded during the five years in question, leading to the loss of 208.63 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products. In the same period, Nigeria spent N471.49 billion on pipeline repairs and maintenance, with a 2021 report indicating a staggering loss of 68.47 million barrels of crude oil, amounting to N1.96 trillion.

Given the critical role the oil and gas sector plays in Nigeria’s economy—accounting for 72.26 percent of export and foreign exchange earnings and 40.55 percent of government revenue—the government’s inaction is puzzling. Despite being crippled by financial challenges, borrowing for both capital and recurrent expenditure, Nigeria has failed to curb this large-scale theft.

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu recently confirmed that Nigeria loses 400,000 barrels of crude per day to theft, equating to a daily financial loss of $4 million. Despite this alarming figure, there has been little visible progress in addressing the problem. The theft is highly sophisticated, with thieves using advanced technology, including electronic surveillance systems, while state response remains inadequate.

The collusion between security agents—including the military, police, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps—has been widely reported, further complicating efforts to stop the theft. Even contracts awarded to private security companies, including those run by ex-Niger Delta militants, have had limited success. These companies frequently accuse the military, particularly Navy personnel, of sabotaging their work and participating in the theft.

To tackle this issue, all security personnel currently stationed in the Niger Delta oil regions should be reassigned, and new teams should be trained and deployed. The Nigerian government cannot continue to claim helplessness while its most valuable natural resource is being plundered. Nigeria’s crude oil loss—400,000 barrels per day—vastly surpasses the combined losses of the other top four oil-theft-prone countries: Mexico, Iraq, Russia, and Indonesia.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has spent vast sums—N34.5 billion on pipeline maintenance from January 2021 to June 2022 and N48 billion per year on private security contracts—but the results remain lackluster. A comprehensive investigation into the theft, particularly focusing on the role of security personnel in protecting oil assets, is urgently needed. High-profile figures like Nyesom Wike, former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, have publicly accused security officials of direct involvement in oil theft and bunkering.

A particularly egregious practice has been the burning of seized vessels and their illicit crude cargo by the Nigerian Navy without any investigations, prosecutions, or court orders. President Tinubu must order an immediate stop to this practice and establish a framework for proper prosecution of offenders.

Moving forward, Nigeria needs new leadership and strategies to secure its oil infrastructure. The government should also consider seeking external assistance in developing better security measures. Ending this ongoing theft is crucial to stabilizing the economy and stopping the massive financial losses that continue to hamper Nigeria’s development.