Senator Ned Nwoko, Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft, has called for the urgent deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) surveillance and stronger regional security to combat crude oil theft in Nigeria.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Nwoko described the theft of crude oil in the Niger Delta as “a long-standing crisis that continues to drain Nigeria’s economy, damage the environment, and fuel insecurity.”

“As a country that relies heavily on oil revenues, we must reclaim control of our oil assets with urgency,” he stated.

To address the issue, Nwoko recommended the integration of AI-powered systems such as drones and predictive analytics to monitor pipelines and detect risks in real-time. “We must actively engage global and local tech companies with proven capacity to deliver real-time monitoring and risk detection,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of engaging oil-producing communities. “Host communities must be part of the solution,” he noted. “Involving them through infrastructural development will give them a sense of ownership in the sector.”

Nwoko further proposed adopting aspects of the Saudi Aramco model, particularly its corporate social responsibility approach. “Adopting Saudi Arabia’s corporate social responsibility method will go a long way in tackling crude oil theft,” he said.

Referring to a 2022 commitment by former NNPCL Group Managing Director Mele Kyari to emulate the Saudi model, Nwoko expressed disappointment. “Sadly, we are still far from that benchmark. We cannot continue with half-measures.”

“The NNPCL and various oil companies must act decisively,” he emphasized. “Under patriotic leadership, they must adopt advanced systems to protect our infrastructure and deter sabotage.”

In a firm call to action, the senator said, “We can no longer pretend we don’t know the cause or the cure. Let’s stop looking away. Let us do what is right for Nigeria — for now and for the future.”