By Henry Ikenna

The Chairperson of Etsako East Local Government Area in Edo State, Princess Benedicta Attoh, has revealed that Nigeria is losing over 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily due to theft.

Speaking at the 4th anniversary and roundtable on sustainable development organized by the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta State, Attoh highlighted that crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal mining are major challenges resulting in significant financial losses, environmental damage, and social instability.

Attoh pointed to foreign actors exploiting weak governance in the mineral sector and identified root causes such as poverty, limited opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, grievances with oil companies and the government, weak law enforcement, corruption, poor surveillance technology, and insufficient regional cooperation as factors fueling these crimes.

She said, “The daily oil theft in Nigeria exceeds the total daily production of some oil-rich nations. Pipeline vandalism leads to oil spills, contaminating water sources, soil, and harming wildlife. Illegal mining causes deforestation and soil erosion, which affect local communities.”

The local government chairperson also stressed that the lack of basic infrastructure in the Niger Delta and other oil-producing areas, struggling with poverty, inadequate education, clean water, and unemployment, exacerbates the situation, driving more people to seek alternative means of survival.

Attoh called for urgent government action and sustainable partnerships with oil-producing communities through multi-stakeholder collaboration and incentives for reporting suspicious activities. “No outsider could protect oil facilities in any community better than the members of such a community,” she emphasized.

She also criticized the weak enforcement of policies, particularly the poor implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and other regulatory measures, blaming powerful individuals for hindering progress.

“Ensuring sustainable security in the extractive sectors is not just the government’s responsibility; it is a collective duty. By forming inclusive partnerships, reducing poverty among youths, embracing technology, and enforcing transparent governance, we can stem the tide of sabotage and transform our extractive industries into engines of peace, prosperity, and sustainable growth,” Attoh concluded.