The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, resolved to investigate the current state of oil and gas pipelines across the country in a bid to avert economic losses to the nation.
They also resulted to probing the causes and impacts of frequent vandalism of pipelines in the country.
This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by the member representing Fagge Federal Constituency, Kano State, Muhammed Shehu, and 15 others.
While noting that Nigeria’s oil and gas sector remains the backbone of the national economy, contributing approximately 9 percent to the Gross Domestic Product and generating over 90 percent of export revenues, the Kano lawmaker lamented that between 2018 and 2023, Nigeria recorded over 7,000 incidents of pipeline vandalism, resulting in the loss of 12.74 Million Dollars worth of crude oil.
9News Nigeria reports that he said, “The House is aware that in October 2024, crude oil supply to Shell’s Forcados Terminal was reduced by 50 per cent due to sabotage, leading to loading delays and the risk of force majeure declarations.
“In January 2025, a major pipeline spill from a facility owned by Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary caused environmental devastation in the Niger Delta, worsening pollution and economic hardship for host communities.
“The House is concerned that in February 2025, Shell reported an oil spill near Port Harcourt caused by an overflow during pipeline flushing operations, highlighting ongoing risks in pipeline management.”
He added that the recurrent pipeline breaches have led to extensive environmental degradation, loss of livelihoods, and substantial national revenue losses, thus, straining the country’s economic and security landscape.
He said, “The House recognises that the Niger Delta region has suffered from decades of oil spills, causing severe health hazards, destruction of farmlands, and contamination of water sources, thereby exacerbating poverty among local communities.”
Shehu therefore commended the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited for intensifying efforts to combat crude oil theft, uncovering 19 illegal pipeline connections and 58 illegal refineries in a single week in January 2025.
The lawmaker believes that the deterioration of oil and gas pipeline networks not only threatens Nigeria’s energy security but also undermines the country’s potential sustainable economic development.
With the adoption of the motion, the House resolved to investigate the state of oil and gas pipelines across Nigeria, including “the causes and impacts of frequent vandalisation and operational failures.”
It also resolved to examine the effectiveness of past and present government interventions aimed at protecting pipelines.
The House also resolved to engage stakeholders, including the NNPCL, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, the national security agencies, oil companies, host communities, and civil society organisations, to recommend sustainable solutions.
