Business
Nwoko Advocates AI-Powered Surveillance Against Crude Oil Theft
The Chairman, Senate Ad- hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, Senator Ned Nwoko, has stressed the need for the implementation of a robust technological framework to curb crude oil theft in the country.
Nwoko, who stated this during an interview with newsmen in Abuja, said crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region had long plagued the nation, resulting in severe economic losses, environmental degradation, and national insecurity.
He said as a country heavily reliant on oil revenues to fund its budget and development, it was imperative that its national assets are treated with the seriousness they deserve, adding that it was time to reclaim control of its oil assets.
He, therefore, advocated for the deployment of AI-Powered Surveillance ranging from drones to predictive analytics to monitor the nation’s pipelines and facilities.
Nwoko also sought for the strengthening of the country’s regional security, noting that oil theft thrives in insecurity.
He said, “Parallel investment in regional peace and stability is crucial. The host communities must be incorporated into the system, thereby making them have a sense of belonging in the oil and gas sector by engaging them into meaningful infrastructural development.
‘’There is also the need for collaboration with tech firms. We must actively engage global and local tech companies with proven capacity to deliver real-time monitoring and risk detection.
‘’Institutional commitment is also needed to curb crude oil theft; NNPCL and other stakeholders must be held accountable.
‘’Monitoring should not just be technological, it must include institutional transparency.
According to him, adopting Saudi Arabia’s corporate social responsibility method in collaborating with the oil and gas host communities would also go a long way in tackling crude oil theft.
‘’If Nigeria adopts these strategies and embraces AI-driven innovation, we can reclaim control of our oil assets, meet our OPEC quota, and catalyse real economic development”, the lawmaker said.
While insisting that Nigeria can no longer pretend not to know the cause or the cure of its problems, Nwoko stated “it’s time to stop looking away. We must be intentional, patriotic, and honest.
“We must emulate nations whose progress is not mythical but practical. Let us do what is right for Nigeria, for now and for the future.
‘’The NNPCL and the various international and National Oil Companies (IOCs and NOCs) operating in the sector must act decisively. Under the supervision of patriotic leadership, they must adopt advanced technological systems to protect our oil infrastructure and deter sabotage.’’
Nwoko recalled that in 2022, the then Group Managing Director of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari, assured Nigerians of efforts to adopt a model similar to that of the Saudi Aramco to combat oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
He said Kyari had admitted then that while Nigeria’s system was not yet as advanced as Aramco’s, the goal was to eventually match their level of sophistication.
‘’Sadly, we are still far from that benchmark. As a nation, we must summon the courage to call a spade a spade.we cannot continue with half-measures. Every meaningful step that can rescue this country from the stranglehold of economic sabotage must be taken without delay.
‘’To move forward, we must learn from countries that have gotten it right. How did developed nations build systems that effectively secure their oil and gas infrastructure? What strategies and technologies do they use?” he queried.
The Board stated this in a statement released by its Corporate Communications Directorate to newsmen, recently, during the inauguration of 140 trainees for the Train 7 Project.
The trainees had undergone the Nigerian Content Human Capacity Development (NC-HCD) programme it organised in partnership with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The Tide gathered that the training programme was an intensive three-month Advanced NC-HCD Programme for the US$5 billion NLNG Train 7 Project on Bonny Island, Rivers State.
The trainees, The Tide further learnt are graduates in different academic disciplines who have completed a 12-month Basic Training Programme in diverse oil-and-gas-industry-related skill sets and are now set for an on-the-job phase which includes active hands-on participation in operational areas such as Turn Around Maintenance (TAM), Commissioning, and Desktop Programmes.
The Corporate Communications Directorate of the NCDMB told The Tide that in November 2024, a set of 331 trainees under Batch A of the NLNG T7 HCD Training Programme began capacity development in facility management, engineering, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Health Safety and Environment (HSE), Quality Assurance and Quality Control, as well as welding and fabrication.
According to the Board, additional 77 trainees under Batch B of the same Training Programme began capacity development in data analytics and supply chain management among several other fields relevant to the operations of the oil and gas industry.
While addressing the trainees and trainers who were drawn from the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), Management Personnel of the NCDMB and NLNG, the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the Advanced NC-HCD training is more than a milestone.
“The NC-HCD training programme is an expression of the collective commitment of the Board and the NLNG to nurturing world-class Nigerian professionals who will shape the future of our oil and gas industry.
“The Board has remained steadfast in its conviction that Human Capital Development is a critical investment in the sustainability and competitiveness of Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain”, the NCDMB boss said.
He said the situation has resulted in widened knowledge gaps and operational challenges.
As a globally regulated sector, he said it was important that stakeholders put measures in place to attract the talents required to move the industry forward.
Keyamo, therefore, called on stakeholders in the industry to be deliberate in identifying, encouraging, nurturing and harvesting young talents to ensure a sustainable supply of manpower to the aviation sector.
Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the FAAN, Mrs Obiageli Orah, in a release made available to aviation correspondents, noted that the Minister deemed it necessary to attract the right quality of human resources required to move the sector forward.
“As a globally regulated sector, it is important that stakeholders put measures in place to continually attract the right quality and quantity of human resources required to move the industry forward.
“It is important to note that organising training programmes are avenues through which we can breed, nurture, and harvest such human resources.
“One of the critical challenges facing the industry is the ageing and retiring workforce, leading to widened knowledge gaps and operational issues.
“Training programmes, I believe, is among other things designed to make aviation appealing to the younger generation, while encouraging them to develop interest in taking up a career in the industry”, the statement stated.
Meanwhile, some aviation stakeholders have expressed concerns of countless young Nigerians who seek to make their mark in aviation, tourism, and the wider transport ecosystem but often face steep barriers to entry.
According to them, lack of access, limited mentorship, financial constraints, skill mismatches, and systemic gaps, among others, have posed some constraints to them.
The Tide gathered that by the appointment, Ogbe becomes Nigeria’s representative on the Board of the 18-member continental body, which has its headquarters at Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
Ogbe was picked for this role by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who doubles as the Chairman of the NCDMB Governing Council.
The notice of the Executive Secretary’s appointment was conveyed in a congratulatory letter signed by the Director of Support Services, APPO, Mrs. Philomena Ikoko, on behalf of the Secretary-General of the organisation, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim.
She applauded the NCDMB boss on the confidence reposed in him by the Minister, expressing her belief that he would make immense contributions to the development of the African oil and gas industry.
Mrs Ikoko stated that Ogbe was joining the Executive Board of APPO at a challenging time for the oil and gas industry, especially in Africa.
“Your appointment is a major call to duty for Nigeria and the continent. The secretariat will give you the support you will need to make a success of your assignment”, she said.
According to a statement by the Directorate of Corporate Communications and Zonal Coordination, the NCDMB played key roles in catalysing the operations of APPO and the development of local content in Africa.
The statement added that the board was providing institutional support and mentorship to several oil producing countries in their formulation of local content policies.
“The NCDMB initiated the African Local Content Roundtable (ALCR) and hosted the inaugural edition in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, in June 2021, and the event was attended by key officials of APPO and other oil industry players.
“The idea for the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) was mooted by NCDMB’s officials at the event, as one of the strategies that would accelerate the growth of the African oil and gas industry and deepen local content.
“The Board also collaborated with APPO to host subsequent editions of the African Local Content Roundtable (ALCR), including the 2023 edition held at Abuja.
“The Africa Energy Bank, which APPO is setting up at Abuja, is aimed at pooling financial resources needed to fund big-ticket oil and gas projects across the continent, and bridge funding challenges currently impeding the development of the sector”, the NCDMB’S said.
Meanwhile, the APPO Secretary-General has said the Africa Energy Bank seeks to fund oil and gas projects across economies in Africa and help to plug critical financing gaps that exist through the continent’s over reliance on financiers from the West.
He added that each APPO member country is expected to raise $83 million with an objective of raising $5 billion capital for the establishment of the Bank.
The Tide learnt that recently Nigeria, Angola and Ghana have contributed their share capital for the African Energy Bank, which represents 44 percent of the trio’s contributions to the minimum capital that is required from oil producing countries in the continent.
It would be recalled that at the Nigerian Oil and Gas Opportunity Fair (NOGOF) held recently, the NCDMB’s Scribe confirmed that the agency was part of key institutions that pooled resources for the formation of the Africa Energy Bank.
Ogbe announced that the Bank will open for business before the end of the 2nd quarter of this year, 2025, expressing hope that it will create more funding availability for local oil and gas projects and companies.
Similarly, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, had stated at the Offshore Technology Conference that Afrexim Bank has already raised $19billion for the take-off of the Africa Energy Bank.
According to him, $14 billion out of the funds represents the bank’s financial exposure on African oil and gas projects, with the additional $5 billion as take-off capital.
-
Politics1 day ago
Democracy Day: Monarch Calls For Unity, Vigilance
-
News17 hours agoNiMET Forecasts Three-Day Thunderstorms, Rain In Rivers, Edo, Others
-
Business1 day ago
Ogbe Gets Appo Board Appointment
-
Sports17 hours agoBAL: Hoopers Coach Makes Excuses After Coming Short
-
Nation1 day ago
WED: HYPREP Moves To Combat Plastic Pollution …Sensitises Ex-Artesenal Refiners
-
Editorial24 hours agoDemocracy Day: So Far…
-
Sports17 hours agoGyokeres Situation, Transfer Under Cloud At Sporting
-
Politics1 day agoDisunited PDP Can’t Wrest Power From APC In 2027 – Momodu