National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has introduced a new security framework designed to curb crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal refining operations that continue to weigh on Nigeria's petroleum output and government revenue.
The framework, unveiled in Abuja on Monday, October 12, 2026, is titled the Standard Operating Procedure for the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry-Wide Security Architecture. It aims to create uniform security procedures, clarify operational responsibilities and improve coordination among security agencies, private surveillance contractors and oil companies.
At the event, attended by representatives of government security agencies, petroleum industry operators, regulators and other stakeholders, Ribadu said persistent security challenges had undermined the country's production capacity and made a coordinated approach to protecting critical oil and gas infrastructure necessary.
"Yet, for too long, crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, illegal refining and associated criminality have undermined production, damaged the environment and threatened national security," he said.
According to the NSA, the SOP establishes common procedures for surveillance operations, arrests, detention and the evacuation of recovered petroleum products, while defining the responsibilities of participating security agencies and private contractors. It was developed through consultations involving the Armed Forces, intelligence agencies, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, industry regulators and private surveillance operators.
Dahiru Gwarzo, representing NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari, said improved security remains critical to sustaining oil production, protecting government revenue and strengthening investor confidence in the petroleum sector. Security, he said, is "fundamental to national revenue, investor confidence, operator continuity, environmental stewardship and the well-being of the host communities that host our assets."
The new framework follows the launch of Operation Delta Sentinel by the Nigerian Navy in January 2026, an intensified campaign against illegal refining, pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft in the Niger Delta. Between April and June 2026, naval personnel recovered more than 4.7 million litres of petroleum products, dismantled over 58 illegal refining sites and destroyed 239 dugout pits and 13 refining ovens. More than 91 suspects were arrested.
