Nigeria’s state-owned oil company, NNPC Limited, announced Monday that it has nearly eliminated pipeline theft, a significant victory after years of coordinated efforts with national defense and intelligence agencies.
This milestone marks a dramatic turnaround from just three years ago, when as little as 30% of oil in some pipelines reached its destination, with the rest lost due to pipeline vandalism and oil theft.
As a result, the oil-rich nation lost billions of dollars in revenue, according to a report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
“Today, I can proudly report that our pipeline and terminal receipts are attaining close to 100%,” NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Bayo Ojulari, said during a regional security forum in Abuja.
He attributed the success to enhanced security, especially in the Niger Delta, the heart of the nation’s oil infrastructure, which has grappled with pipeline insecurity for more than a decade.
Ojulari highlighted the involvement of the country’s defense and intelligence agencies, noting that the illicit trade was a sophisticated international issue, not just a local one.
The improved security environment is expected to boost Nigeria’s overall oil production and crude oil export potential.
With Nigeria’s war on oil theft and pipeline vandalism paying off, the country achieved 100% crude oil pipeline availability in June 2025, substantially boosting its oil production and ushering in a new era of pipeline efficiency and profitability.
The national oil regulator recently projected that the country’s output could exceed 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) by next year, a remarkable recovery from a low of 1 million bpd in 2016.
This would set a new record, given that Nigeria’s last close to 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) production was in 2005.
Following the widespread pipeline security threats and years of oil theft and pipeline vandalism, the government also started hiring private security firms in 2021 to support national security organizations in enhancing pipeline security.
This collaboration played a crucial role in the recent gains, including the recovery of 4 million litres of stolen oil in the first half of 2024 alone.
Meanwhile, the government is moving to accelerate approvals for new oil projects, leveraging the improved security to attract further investment and expand its oil sector.