Crude theft: NAF, NNPC partner to secure oil and gas infrastructure

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has declared its readiness to partner with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited in its renewed effort to protect critical oil and gas infrastructure vital to Nigeria’s economic stability.

Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, gave the assurance when he visited the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC, Engr Bashir Bayo Ojulari, in Abuja.

NAF Director of Public Relations and Information Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said The visit underscored the strategic importance of enhanced collaboration between both institutions in securing key national assets and promoting sustainable economic growth under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Ejodame in a statement said remarks, Air Marshal Aneke, during the visit, emphasized that safeguarding the nation’s energy installations is central not only to NNPC’s operational efficiency but also to Nigeria’s broader economic resilience. He noted that the NAF remains fully committed to supporting the protection of oil pipelines, flow stations, offshore platforms, and other critical infrastructure that underpin the national energy supply chain. According to the CAS, strengthened security around these assets will significantly boost productivity in the oil and gas sector, reduce revenue leakages, and enhance national development outcomes.

The CAS highlighted that the efforts of the NAF, working in synergy with sister services and security agencies, have significantly reduced oil theft and contributed to increased national output. He stressed the need to consolidate these gains through more coordinated and technology-driven responses from all stakeholders. Air Marshal Aneke reaffirmed that the NAF is scaling up its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to support proactive threat detection, rapid response, and sustained deterrence against insurgent and criminal networks operating across the country.

Air Marshal Aneke further underscored that NAF’s expanding maritime security posture, supported by advanced surveillance platforms and integrated command structures, remains critical to safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity and energy corridors. He noted that closer alignment between NAF operations and NNPC’s strategic priorities will create the operational advantage needed to secure vital assets, ensure uninterrupted energy supply, and support increased oil and gas production, which is essential to Nigeria’s economic recovery and growth.

Welcoming the NAF Chief to the NNPC towers, the Group Engr Bayo Ojulari, while commending the Nigerian Air Force for its unwavering dedication to national defence, described the strengthened collaboration as timely, especially in view of the President’s mandate for NNPC to increase investments and productivity for the benefit of all Nigerians.

He noted that NNPC’s partnership with the NAF is essential to promoting energy security, stabilizing production outputs, and fostering a safer operating environment for industry operators. Engr Ojulari assured the CAS that NNPC remains committed to expanding cooperation to further enhance NAF air operations, including intelligence sharing, joint operational planning, and the deployment of modern security technologies across vulnerable national assets.

Reassuring NNPC leadership of the Air Force’s continued support, Air Marshal Aneke reiterated that the NAF will remain a steadfast partner in safeguarding national resources and defeating threats posed by insurgents, vandals, and criminal elements, thereby contributing meaningfully to increased NNPC productivity. He emphasized that strengthened collaboration between both institutions will not only reinforce coastal and maritime security but also support Nigeria’s broader national development aspirations.