NUPRC and Defence Ministry launch joint strategy to secure Nigerian oil infrastructure

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has entered a formal collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Defence to strengthen protection of the country's oil and gas assets through non-military approaches. The partnership, formalized during a recent visit by a Defence Ministry delegation to NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, centres on combining technological deployment, human resources, and community-based initiatives to reduce crude oil theft and infrastructure damage.

The regulator is pushing for adoption of advanced monitoring systems, specifically drone surveillance, to oversee oil and gas operations across Nigeria's extensive production footprint. According to NUPRC leadership, this technological investment aims to stabilize production levels and create conditions that attract new upstream investment.

The initiative comes as Nigeria's crude output has experienced disruptions linked to theft and sabotage, with production hovering near 1.8 million barrels daily. A significant element of the security strategy involves non-kinetic interventions—approaches that do not rely on military force.

These focus on engaging local communities and youth in areas where oil infrastructure operates, framing theft and pipeline vandalism as community development issues rather than purely security matters. Officials from both agencies have emphasized that sustained investment in security technology, combined with human resource deployment, forms the foundation for this integrated approach.

The collaboration reflects broader efforts by the Federal Government to address crude oil theft losses that have accumulated over recent years as production has declined. The NUPRC and Defence Ministry statement was issued on Tuesday, with the regulator's media team confirming the details of the arrangement and its focus on long-term production assurance as Nigeria seeks to increase output.