Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has attributed the recent growth in national crude oil production and renewed investor confidence to strengthened pipeline security in the Niger Delta.

NNPCL’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Bayo Ojulari, disclosed this at the Parliamentary Roundtable on the State of Pipeline Security at the National Assembly.

The national oil company confirmed a rebound in national crude oil output, rising from a historic low of 960,000 barrels per day in 2022 to an average of 1.71 million barrels per day in 2025, with peak production hitting 1.84 million barrels per day.

Meanwhile, pipeline vandals in the Niger Delta are stepping up their tactics, installing Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras to monitor security movements and deploying missile launchers, as the Federal Government sets its sights on increasing oil production to four million barrels per day (mbpd) by 2030.

This was as pro-Tantita protesters rejected proposals to decentralise pipeline surveillance contracts.

Ojulari said national crude oil production rose from a historic low of 960,000 barrels per day in 2022 to an average of 1.71mbpd in 2025, with peak production reaching 1.84mbpd.

In his welcome remarks, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, urged collaboration among agencies and stakeholders to resolve challenges to growth.

Similarly, Speaker of the House of Representatives, represented by the Leader of the House, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, called on the forum to evaluate progress and ensure fairness and equity in the sector.

The Parliamentary Roundtable was convened by the Joint Senate and House Committee on Petroleum Resources and included participation from key security and regulatory figures, as well as representatives of private security companies.

The NNPCL’s reported increase represents a near doubling of national output over three years, underscoring the impact of targeted interventions on oil production stability and investor confidence.

The lawmakers also dismissed petitions challenging the pipeline surveillance contract and passed a confidence vote in Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), NNPCL and security agencies for their role in boosting production and protecting oil infrastructure.

In his presentation, the Executive Director, Operations and Technical Services of Tantita, Capt. WarrendiEnisuoh, said the cameras allow vandals to detect when security teams are approaching, making it harder to intercept illegal activities along the pipelines.

He said that the vandals established operational command and control centres around the area, and acquired missile launchers to shoot down any aircraft flying across the area.

According to him, before the contract, crude oil theft was like a community effort in the Escravous area where crude flowed freely without the fear of government or security agents.

Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream), Henry Okojie, who moved the motion endorsing Tantita, said the firm and the security agencies had achieved significant results in securing the nation’s petroleum assets, thereby increasing oil revenue for the country.

While moving the motion dismissing the petitions against Tantita, the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources and Downstream, Ikenga Ugochinyere, said petitioners were duly invited from multiple locations to appear before the joint committee to defend and substantiate the allegations, but they failed to appear.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, said the military had strengthened operations under Operation Delta Safe to tackle crude oil theft and related crimes.

Represented by the Chief of Defence Operations (CDO), Jamal Abdulsalam, the CDS said the Joint Task Force combined kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, including intelligence gathering, patrols, community engagement, and collaboration with private surveillance firms.

These efforts, he noted, contributed to raising crude oil production from about 900,000 barrels per day to nearly 1.9 million barrels per day in 2025.

EARLIER, at the entrance of the National Assembly, protesters rejected proposals to decentralise pipeline surveillance contracts.

Carrying placards reading “We are okay with Tantita” and “Tantita has stopped bunkering,” they argued that the system delivered measurable results.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Teslim Kolawole said oil production had increased to about 1.8mbpd following the engagement of private surveillance operators.

He warned against disrupting a system that contributed to reduced vandalism, improved community engagement, and youth empowerment in the Niger Delta. (Guardian)

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