Federal Govt Risks Billions of Naira Over Delayed Critical Pipeline Surveillance Contracts Renewal – Group

The Movement for the Survival of Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), has said the federal government risks losing billions of Naira in revenue if it continues delaying the renewal of critical pipeline surveillance contracts, which expired in December 2025.

Describing the situation as dangerous, the Ijaw group warned that the administrative bottleneck threatens national revenue, jeopardises community stability, and risks reversing decades of progress in combating oil theft and environmental degradation.

MOSIEND, in a statement by its president, Dr. Kennedy West, said over the past two years effective surveillance operations by some companies, especially Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited and Tantita Security Services Limited, have helped reduce oil theft by over 70 per cent in targeted waterways.

The group stated that the initiatives have directly employed thousands of youths, providing lawful income and deterring return to illegal bunkering.

It warned that the federal government could be lossing billions of Naira annually to crude oil theft as none renewal of surveillance contracts are delayed.

“The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) raises urgent alarm over the dangerous delay in renewing critical pipeline surveillance contracts, which expired in December last year.

“This administrative bottleneck threatens national revenue, jeopardizes community stability, and risks reversing decades of progress in combating oil theft and environmental degradation.

“Over the past two years effective surveillance operations by companies such as Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited and Tantita Security Services Ltd have helped reduce oil theft by over 70 per cent in targeted waterways.

“These initiatives have directly employed thousands of youths, providing lawful income and deterring return to illegal bunkering.

“The federal government has been losing billions of naira annually to crude oil theft, a figure that could escalate dramatically if surveillance contracts remain unrenewed.

“Environmental degradation, pipeline vandalism, and waterway insecurity rise sharply when surveillance operations are halted, causing long-term damage to communities and ecosystems.

“The vacuum created by the delay has emboldened illicit actors and revived covert calls for decentralization—an approach historically proven to fragment oversight, reduce accountability, and increase criminal activity.

“Past attempts to decentralise surveillance operations, including during the Goodluck Jonathan era, led to spikes in oil theft and marginalisation of local stakeholders. MOSIEND warns that repeating this mistake now could trigger even greater losses,” the statement said.