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By Tracy Moses
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources on Wednesday dismissed three petitions against the pipeline surveillance contract while passing a vote of confidence on Tantita Security Service, other security agencies, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for their contributions to restoring the nation’s oil production.
Available records indicate that Nigeria’s oil production currently stands at about 1.8 million barrels per day as of April 2026, a significant increase from approximately 900,000 barrels per day in 2022 when the surveillance contract was first awarded.
The resolution followed a motion moved by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources, Midstream, Henry Okojie, during a one-day parliamentary roundtable on pipeline security and the fight against crude oil theft. Okojie praised Tantita Security Service and other agencies for their achievements in securing Nigeria’s petroleum assets, which he said directly contributed to higher national oil revenues.
Speaking at the event, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen highlighted the strategic importance of crude oil, particularly amid ongoing global energy tensions such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and instability in the Middle East. He noted that oil remains the primary source of energy for transport, powering 95 percent of vehicles, planes, and ships worldwide, and stressed that disruptions to supply could have severe economic consequences.
“Nigeria’s journey as an oil-producing nation has been challenging,” the Speaker said. “While petroleum has earned us massive foreign exchange, it has also contributed to environmental degradation and unrest in the Niger Delta. Pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, and illegal refining were rampant, costing the nation billions annually and threatening our reliability as a producer.”
He explained that the pipeline surveillance contract, which involved private security firms, government agencies, and community-based structures, was designed to safeguard oil infrastructure while engaging host communities. The collaborative approach, he said, had led to remarkable improvements in daily production quotas.
“Recent reports indicate that most illegal tapping points have been dismantled, production levels have surged, and oil receipts are approaching near-total delivery to export terminals,” the Speaker said. “Thanks to these surveillance efforts, daily production has risen to 1.8 million barrels, and thousands of Niger Delta youths formerly involved in criminal activities now have legitimate employment opportunities.”
While acknowledging the successes, the Speaker also highlighted ongoing challenges, particularly in accountability, transparency, and the effectiveness of certain surveillance frameworks, emphasizing the need for continuous oversight and reform.
He added that the National Assembly has actively legislated and enforced laws such as the Petroleum Production and Distribution (Anti-Sabotage) Act, strengthened institutions like the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), and operationalized provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), including the Host Community Development Trust, to ensure communities play a shared role in protecting pipelines.
“The story of Nigeria’s oil industry is not only one of challenges, but also of resilience and possibility,” the Speaker concluded. “With effective collaboration between government, security agencies, private operators, and communities, our pipelines can become symbols of shared prosperity and national development. Nigeria is securing its assets, stabilizing production, and positioning itself as a credible energy supplier to the world.”