By Philip Eke, Yenagoa
A leading advocacy group in Nigeria, the People’s Wellbeing Association (PWA), has called for a forensic audit of the country’s pipeline surveillance contract, insisting that its current structure violates the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and excludes key host communities.
The group said the arrangement, awarded by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited in 2022, should be reviewed to ensure wider participation, transparency, and fairness across oil-producing communities.
Nigeria has, for years, battled persistent crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and production losses in the Niger Delta, with the situation at different times significantly affecting national revenue and output. The pipeline surveillance initiative was therefore introduced in 2022 as part of federal efforts to curb these challenges and stabilise crude production through specialised private security operations familiar with the region.
Following the commencement of the surveillance operations, authorities and operators have at various times claimed improvements in crude oil output and a reduction in pipeline vandalism along some corridors. However, the arrangement has continued to generate debate over its structure, inclusiveness, and governance framework.
The contract, valued at about ₦48 billion annually, was designed to secure critical oil infrastructure and reduce losses from illegal bunkering activities in the Niger Delta.
Speaking in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the Head of Communication Unit of PWA, Comrade Abba Abubakar, described the current framework as “skewed and monopolistic,” alleging that it concentrates opportunities in the hands of a few actors while excluding several host communities.
Abubakar said the development runs contrary to provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act, particularly sections that emphasize the direct involvement of host communities in the protection of oil facilities located within their domains.
“The current pipeline surveillance contract is a violation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) about the effective participation of host communities in protecting oil facilities located in their domain,” he said.
He argued that pipeline security should be structured in a way that allows indigenous stakeholders across oil-producing ethnic nationalities and affected communities to actively participate in safeguarding oil infrastructure in their areas.
According to him, the present arrangement reflects “an unhealthy concentration of opportunity and influence,” leaving many stakeholders without meaningful inclusion in the surveillance framework.
Abubakar further noted that the exclusion of several oil-producing communities has created resentment and undermined unity in the Niger Delta region.
He also expressed concern that despite the significant financial commitments made to pipeline surveillance over the years, Nigeria’s crude oil production levels remain below expectations.
The PWA spokesman, therefore, renewed calls for a comprehensive forensic audit of the ₦48 billion annual pipeline surveillance contract, insisting that greater accountability, transparency, and inclusiveness are necessary in the management of critical national oil assets.
