Stakeholders credit stronger pipeline security and technology-driven surveillance with curbing crude theft, raising production and protecting national revenue

Improved Pipeline Surveillance Nigeria operations are reshaping the country’s oil industry, with stakeholders attributing higher crude oil production, lower pipeline vandalism and stronger government revenue to coordinated efforts to secure critical petroleum infrastructure across the Niger Delta.

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The growing confidence in Nigeria’s pipeline protection framework follows sustained surveillance operations by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) in collaboration with government security agencies and other stakeholders, alongside the deployment of advanced monitoring technology to safeguard oil assets.

Supporters of the arrangement argue that protecting pipelines has become more than a security exercise, describing it as a strategic economic intervention that has helped reduce crude oil theft, restore investor confidence and improve the country’s ability to maximise returns from its hydrocarbon resources.

The Federal Government engaged Tantita Security Services, led by High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, to support efforts to protect oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta and complement the work of conventional security agencies.

The objective, according to stakeholders, is to strengthen surveillance of critical oil facilities, minimise disruptions to production and improve national economic stability by reducing losses associated with illegal bunkering and pipeline vandalism.

Advocates of the surveillance model say the approach has contributed to safer transportation of crude oil and enabled Nigeria to recover production volumes that had previously been affected by widespread theft and sabotage.

Those gains formed part of discussions during a recent two-day National Dialogue on Pipeline Security in Abuja, organised by the Forum of Forensic Civil Society Groups in Nigeria in collaboration with the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency.

Participants from civil society, host communities and the National Assembly described Nigeria’s oil pipelines as critical national infrastructure whose protection directly affects public revenue and economic development.

In a communiqué signed by Dr Opialu Fabian, the forum stated that recent improvements in crude oil production and the decline in pipeline vandalism were closely linked to more structured and coordinated surveillance arrangements.

“The dialogue observed that recent improvements in crude oil production levels and the relative decline in pipeline vandalism are closely tied to more coordinated and structured surveillance frameworks. These gains, participants agreed, must be preserved and strengthened rather than subjected to disruptive experimentation,” the communiqué stated.

Participants cautioned against fragmenting existing surveillance arrangements without adequate planning, arguing that introducing poorly coordinated structures could weaken operational efficiency and create opportunities for criminal networks involved in crude oil theft.

“The Forum expressed concern over increasing calls to fragment pipeline surveillance arrangements under the guise of inclusion, warning that such approaches risk undermining operational coherence, weakening accountability mechanisms, and creating vulnerabilities that could be exploited by criminal networks,” the communiqué added.

The forum emphasised that pipeline protection requires disciplined intelligence gathering, clear command structures and effective coordination rather than political patronage.

While supporting greater participation by host communities, participants argued that such inclusion should occur through structured engagement, capacity building and clearly defined responsibilities that preserve operational effectiveness.

The dialogue also recommended stronger oversight, transparency and accountability while encouraging deeper collaboration between government institutions, host communities and credible security operators to improve intelligence sharing.

Backing those recommendations, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities, Dekor Robinson, praised the contribution of Tantita Security Services and its leadership to protecting Nigeria’s oil infrastructure.

Members of the House Joint Committee on Host Communities and Public Petitions similarly commended the company’s role in reducing pipeline vandalism, improving production levels and promoting greater stability in oil-producing communities.

“Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, in partnership with NNPC, has rendered demonstrably effective service in the protection of crude oil pipelines and the recovery of national crude oil production,” members of the committee stated.

The committee subsequently passed a unanimous vote of confidence in the surveillance arrangement and urged the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to consider a long-term renewal of the contract to consolidate progress against crude oil theft.

“Tompolo and his team have served this country at great personal risk. They have kept the economic lifeline of the nation running and restored peace to communities that had not experienced peace in decades,” Robinson said.

The National Chairman of the Host Communities of Nigeria Producing Oil and Gas (HOSTCOM), His Highness Benjamin Tamaranebi, also commended the Federal Government for supporting coordinated pipeline protection, describing attacks on oil infrastructure as an assault on the livelihoods of host communities.

“Let us be clear: Destroying our oil assets is economic suicide. It’s a direct attack on the very lifeline of our communities,” Tamaranebi said.

He added that the local knowledge possessed by Tantita personnel had strengthened efforts to combat crude oil theft across the Niger Delta.

Independent observers also linked improved surveillance to Nigeria’s broader economic recovery.

Lagos-based social analyst Jamiu Idris noted that before the introduction of the current surveillance framework in late 2022, Nigeria’s crude oil production had fallen to approximately 1.015 million barrels per day in September of that year, placing severe pressure on public finances and foreign exchange earnings.

Beyond manpower, technology has become an increasingly important component of pipeline protection.

To strengthen its monitoring capability, Tantita recently partnered with Textron Systems of the United States to acquire three Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 Vertical Takeoff and Landing uncrewed aircraft systems designed for continuous surveillance of oil infrastructure.

According to Textron Systems, the aircraft are equipped with hybrid quadrotor technology that enables vertical take-off and landing without the need for conventional runways, making them suitable for monitoring difficult terrain across the Niger Delta.

“The Aerosonde Mk. 4.7 VTOL UAS is a mature, highly reliable, and industry-proven autonomous solution that will provide Tantita Security Services with transformational capability to execute their security operations,” David Phillips, Senior Vice President of Air, Land and Sea Systems at Textron Systems, said.

He added that the aircraft would enhance the company’s ability to protect infrastructure vital to Nigeria’s energy security and economic prosperity.

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As Nigeria continues efforts to increase crude oil production, meet budgetary revenue targets and attract greater investment into the petroleum sector, stakeholders argue that protecting pipelines through coordinated surveillance, technological innovation and community collaboration will remain central to sustaining recent gains while safeguarding one of the country’s most important economic assets.