URGENT CALL FOR STAKEHOLDER PREPAREDNESS AND PARTICIPATION IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON CRUDE OIL THEFT

The Ad-Hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, chaired by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, is set to hold a pivotal two-day public hearing on April 28th and 29th, 2025, at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja. This hearing represents a crucial step toward addressing the persistent and damaging issue of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta and beyond.

Given the magnitude of this problem and its far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s economy, security, and development, we urge all listed stakeholders to fully prepare and ensure robust participation in this process. Your contributions are indispensable in formulating effective policies, enhancing surveillance mechanisms, and instituting regulatory reforms that will combat crude oil theft and its associated crimes.

Why Your Participation Matters:

1. Government Agencies (NNPCL, CBN, NUPRC, NIMASA, NPA, Nigeria Customs Service, etc.): Your insights will help refine regulatory policies, identify loopholes, and strengthen inter-agency collaboration.

2. Security Agencies (Nigerian Armed Forces, DSS, NSCDC, Nigerian Police, etc.): Your presence is critical in identifying security threats, assessing vulnerabilities, and proposing viable solutions for enhanced surveillance and enforcement.

3. Industry Stakeholders (NEITI, OPTS, IPPG, IOCs, OML Operators): Your technical expertise is needed to examine operational gaps, crude oil metering challenges, and pipeline monitoring deficiencies.

4. Other Stakeholders (Shipping lines, crude oil lifters, commercial banks, security firms, oil and gas producing states and communities): Your testimonies and submissions will highlight on-the-ground realities and help shape industry-wide interventions.

5. The General Public: Your experiences, observations, and whistleblower reports will provide valuable grassroots insights that inform stronger regulatory frameworks and deterrent measures.

Call to Action:

We urge all stakeholders to submit their memoranda on or before April 21st, 2025, to the Committee Secretariat at Room 2.2, White House, Senate.

Prepare detailed submissions, backed by verifiable data, expert analyses, and practical recommendations.

Attend the public hearing ready to contribute meaningfully to the discussions.

If you have information on illegal oil bunkering activities, please reach out to the Committee through the official contact details provided.

This hearing is not just a formality—it is an opportunity for all actors to collectively forge a sustainable path toward eradicating crude oil theft and securing Nigeria’s petroleum industry for future generations.

We look forward to your active engagement and cooperation.

Signed

Senator Prince Ned Munir Nwoko. 

From the 

Directorate of Communications

 Office of Senator Ned Munir Nwoko Chairman, Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft