Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), has called for collaboration between academia and the Oil & Gas Industry to address the challenges of energy sufficiency and sustainability. Kyari made this call during a Guest Lecture titled “Energy Security, Sustainability and Profitability in Nigeria: Advances, Challenges and Opportunities,” organized by the Faculty of Science at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
In his lecture, Kyari emphasized the vital role academic communities, like OAU, play in safeguarding national energy security through research and collaboration with the industry. He highlighted challenges hindering energy security in Nigeria, including rapid population growth, pipeline vandalism, and crude oil theft. Kyari identified energy conservation, diversification, and efficiency measures as crucial avenues for enhancing energy security.
Addressing the challenges of pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, Kyari highlighted NNPC Ltd.’s efforts, such as the establishment of a command-and-control center that has aided the detection and destruction of illegal refinery sites and removal of illegal connections. The center provides livestreaming of surveillance data to security forces, contributing to the detection and destruction of over 5,686 Illegal Refinery (IR) sites and removal of 4,480 Illegal Connections (ICs) since 2021.
Kyari acknowledged the severity of vandalism and oil theft, hinting at a strategic shift toward increased products trucking and storage in underground tankages at NNPC filling stations nationwide. He underscored NNPC Ltd.’s transformation into a fully commercial limited liability energy company following the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021. The removal of fuel subsidies has allowed the company to play a more active commercial role, ensuring profitability and delivering greater value to Nigeria’s growing population.
