Group chief executive officer (GCEO), NNPC Limited, Mele Kyari, has said that Nigeria loses $1.9 billion monthly to crude oil theft.
Kyari spoke when a delegation on an anti-oil theft team led by the minister of state for petroleum resources, Timipre Sylva, visited governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa at the government house, Asaba.
He said Nigeria hardly meets the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production quota of 1.99 million barrels per day and was currently at a production level of 1.4 million barrels per day, due to the activities of these economic saboteurs.
“This has done extensive damage to the environment, and losing $1.9 billion every month is colossal, considering the nature of the global economy at the moment.”
Kyari emphasised that the team needed the support and buy-in of the Delta state government “because stopping this oil theft requires the concerted efforts of the federal, state governments, oil companies and security agencies”.
On his part, Sylva said oil theft had become a national emergency as the country could not meet its OPEC quota.
“Our production has dropped drastically to very unsustainable levels; so, we have decided to take the bull by the horn by putting some structures in place, and those structures cannot function effectively without the collaboration of the state government,” the minister said.
On his part, Okowa called for the review of surveillance contracts on oil facilities to involve host communities.