Military drones deployed as Nigeria loses billions to oil theft gangs
Nigeria is ramping up its battle against oil theft in the Niger Delta, aiming to boost national production to 3 million barrels per day and address energy insecurity.
Oil exports make up 80 percent of Nigeria’s revenue, with current production at 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd), placing the country among the world's largest oil producers.
The Niger Delta, where most of the country’s oil is extracted, has long been a hotspot for illegal refineries and theft, costing Nigeria millions each month.
Chief of defence staff General Christopher Musa said security forces have been relying on technology, in land and air operations, to monitor and protect the region.
“We have drones and helicopters that fly [over], [and] patrols that go on water,” Musa said.
The government has also been tackling illegal operations that, in 2022, cost an estimated $23 million per day, according to Nigeria's Senate. Losses continued into 2023, with $1.43 billion reported in the first quarter alone.
The country suffers frequent blackouts due to load shedding – the interruption of the electricity supply to avoid excessive load on its electricity plants.
"We have the challenge of energy security in Nigeria... We must increase electricity generation and distribution throughout the country," President Bola Tinubu said in June 2024.
"As a nation, it is so shameful that we are still generating 4.5 gigawatts of electricity."
Institutional criminality
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