NNPCL Boss Raises Alarm on Global Syndicates Behind Crude Oil Theft in Africa

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has sounded the alarm over the growing involvement of sophisticated international and continental syndicates in crude oil theft across Africa.

Speaking at the opening session of the Africa Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit in Abuja on Monday, Ojulari warned that crude oil theft should no longer be viewed as a local challenge but as a transnational crime requiring joint military and security cooperation across the continent.

Crude Theft: A Continental Threat

Ojulari explained that oil theft and related illegal activities are executed by highly organized networks that exploit weaknesses in national and continental security frameworks.

“Crude theft and its attendant illegal activities are by no means a purely localised occurrence; rather, these operations involve specialised international syndicates that take advantage of gaps within the state, national and continental security architecture,” Ojulari told defence chiefs from across Africa.

He stressed that while Nigeria’s Niger Delta region remains a hotspot, the threat is far-reaching and demands a coordinated continental response.

Progress in Nigeria’s Fight Against Oil Theft

Ojulari noted that collaborative operations between NNPCL and Nigerian security agencies have significantly reduced crude oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

According to him, the impact has been transformative: crude oil receipts at pipelines and terminals have improved dramatically, rising from as low as 20–30 percent to nearly 100 percent in recent months.

Call for Stronger Continental Partnerships

The NNPCL CEO urged African nations to deepen cooperation through platforms like the Abuja summit, stressing that energy security is inseparable from national and regional stability.

“Security forms a key pillar of the energy business and therefore plays a very important and strategic role in achieving national, regional and continental energy security goals,” he emphasized.

High-Level Participation

The summit drew a high-profile audience of political, security, and international leaders, including:

• Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu

• Amina Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General

• Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser

• General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff

• Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission

• Mahamoud Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission

• Ibrahim Gambari, former UN Ambassador

• Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)

Bottom Line

Ojulari’s remarks reinforce the urgent need for African nations to treat crude oil theft as a continental security issue, requiring not only local vigilance but also robust cross-border collaboration to protect the continent’s vital energy resources.