Nigerian Minister Lokpobiri sheds light on the reasons fuel smuggling and pipeline vandalism continue despite efforts to prevent them.

Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, has attributed the problems of petrol smuggling and oil theft to issues surrounding product subsidies and corroded pipelines.

Speaking at the Energy and Labour Summit 2024 in Abuja, Lokpobiri stated that fuel smuggling to neighboring West African countries is thriving because the Nigerian Petroleum Company Limited sells petroleum products below the landing cost.

He emphasized Nigeria’s critical role in Africa’s energy security and highlighted that smuggling cannot be stopped while the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) continues to sell products to marketers at a price below N600.

Lokpobiri also addressed the issue of pipeline vandalism and oil theft, stating that the country’s crude oil pipelines have expired and are easily accessible for illegal activities.

He called for public-private partnerships to address these challenges and emphasized the need to adopt better technologies and pipelines to prevent future incidents.

Lokpobiri’s comments come after recent interceptions of smuggled petrol by Nigeria Customs and the destruction of illicit oil pipeline connections and illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region by the NNPC.