Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Federal Ministry of Defence have agreed to strengthen collaboration on the protection of oil and gas assets, with a focus on non-kinetic interventions combining technology deployment, community engagement and youth empowerment.
The commitment emerged from a recent courtesy visit by a delegation from the Ministry of Defence to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking during the meeting, the Commission Chief Executive of NUPRC, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan said the partnership was already yielding results.
She pointed to a crude production figure of nearly 1.8m barrels per day recorded last month as evidence that sustained investment in security, technology, and human resources was paying off.
The NUPRC boss, in a statement by the Commission’s Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, stressed the need to further strengthen production assurance as Nigeria seeks to increase output and attract new investments into the upstream sector.
“As we look to the future, we desire to grow production and must have assurances that security threats can be effectively managed. We can only achieve this through stronger collaboration with security agencies and industry stakeholders,” she added.
The NUPRC chief also underscored the importance of deploying advanced technologies, including drone surveillance, to monitor the extensive footprint of oil and gas operations across the country.
She disclosed that the Commission would work with industry operators to refine and promote the new security framework, with NUPRC taking a leading role in galvanising stakeholders and establishing a governance structure to ensure long-term sustainability.
Representing the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), the Senior Special Assistant to the Minister, Major General Ekubi, said the Ministry was introducing a non-kinetic national security intervention model focused on promoting stability in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
He explained that sports-based youth engagement initiatives would form a key component of the strategy aimed at addressing the root causes of insecurity in oil-producing communities.
“One of the best ways to engage youths in oil-producing areas is through sports-based interventions,” he said, adding that the initiative would include structured programmes for persons with disabilities.
The initiative, the Ministry said, aligns with the host community development objectives of the Petroleum Industry Act and is expected to foster peace, strengthen community relations, and create alternative pathways for economic empowerment.
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