A Niger Delta-based human rights activist, Fejiro Oliver, has urged the Federal Government to restructure pipeline surveillance contracts in the region in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Local Content Act.
In a statement issued on Friday, Oliver said the law, which prioritises Nigerian participation in the oil and gas industry, should also guide the management and protection of oil infrastructure across the Niger Delta.
“The act mandates that first consideration be given to Nigerian companies, goods, services, and personnel in all projects within the oil and gas industry,” Oliver said.
He explained that the legislation was enacted to strengthen local capacity and ensure meaningful Nigerian ownership and participation in the sector.
“It aims to develop local capacity by requiring at least 51 per cent equity share by Nigerians for companies to be considered indigenous,” he added.
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Oliver argued that extending these principles to pipeline surveillance would promote fairness and inclusiveness among the various ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta, where oil pipelines traverse multiple communities.
“My position is that if this contract for pipeline surveillance must continue, let every tribe manage and handle pipelines that pass through their localities and areas,” he said.
He maintained that decentralising the contracts would encourage community ownership, cooperation and more effective protection of oil assets.
As an alternative, the activist suggested that government security agencies could assume responsibility for pipeline surveillance where decentralisation is impracticable.
“If this will not be the case, the Federal Government should allow the Nigerian Navy and the Civil Defence, who are naturally charged with such duties, to manage pipeline surveillance,” Oliver said.
According to him, aligning pipeline surveillance arrangements with the Local Content Act would not only deepen local participation but also ensure sustainable and coordinated protection of critical national infrastructure.
