FG achieves 2025 oil revenue target, credits success to improved security

The Federal Government of Nigeria has, for the first time in many years, met its oil and gas revenue target for the 2025 fiscal year.

This milestone, announced by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), was largely attributed to enhanced security in the Niger Delta region, driven by the collaborative efforts of security agencies and key surveillance contractors such as Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).

According to the FIRS Chairman, Dr Zacch Adedeji, increased peace in oil-producing areas has led to sustained production, higher profitability for oil companies, and significantly increased tax revenues for the federation.

He praised the Armed Forces and security partners for their role in securing oil infrastructure, aligning the achievement with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of “taxing prosperity, not poverty.”

Adedeji noted that the improved security situation in oil-producing areas had boosted production, resulting in greater profitability for companies in the sector and higher tax revenue for the federation.

“The coordinating director of the Large Tax Group made a presentation at our management meeting today on tax collection to date, and I am glad to say that, for the first time in a long while, we met our oil and gas target,” Adedeji said.

“This is actually a result of the peace that has been maintained where oil and gas facilities are located. Production is happening, and companies are making more profit from it.”

He commended the Armed Forces and other security agencies for their contribution to maintaining stability, noting that the success aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to “taxing prosperity and not poverty.”

“Prosperity can only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace. The Armed Forces are critical stakeholders and central to sustaining peace in the country,” he said.

At a stakeholder meeting in Port Harcourt, Dr Akpos Mezeh, General Manager, Community and Stakeholders Relations at PINL, confirmed that PINL recorded zero infractions in the past month, contributing directly to the nation’s production increase.

He emphasised the importance of community engagement, proactive dispute resolution, and welfare strategies, which have built trust and minimised pipeline disruptions.

PINL also reported several key interventions, including oil spill responses in Yorla and Kpean (Khana LGA) and successful busts of illegal bunkering operations in Umuebule and Oyigbo, Rivers State.

The Special Prosecution Taskforce (SPT), working with PINL, recently dismantled two illegal refining sites hidden behind a logistics company and a piggery in Oyigbo LGA.

The raid was facilitated by PINL’s community surveillance and drone intelligence, leading to the seizure of stolen crude, industrial equipment, and the arrest of multiple suspects.

SPT Head, CSP Omar Sini, confirmed that 108 suspects are currently remanded, with 38 active prosecutions underway.

In his remarks at the Port Harcourt stakeholders’ engagement, Engr Akponine Omojevwe of the NNPC Ltd Project Monitoring Office called on host communities to strengthen collaboration with PINL and emphasised the importance of safeguarding infrastructure investments.

PINL reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable energy security, corporate social responsibility, and alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government, calling on all stakeholders to remain united in combating oil theft and environmental degradation.

Dr Mezeh said: “PINL recorded zero infraction in the past month, contributing to increased national crude oil production. Federal Government has met its 2025 oil and gas sector revenue due to peace and stability in the communities hosting oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta, which the Chairman of FIRS has confirmed.

“These results underscore the strength and effectiveness of our partnership, which can be attributed to consistent application of proven strategies such as safety measures for surveillance personnel, timely salary payments, rapid dispute resolution within communities, amongst others, which, combined efforts have resulted in reduced downtime and increased trust”.

He announced some of the company’s achievements, including interventions in an oil spill location in Yorla, Kpean community in Khana Local Government Area, and the bursting of illegal bunkering sites in Umuebule and Oyigbo communities, both in Rivers State.

Mezeh also used the opportunity to update stakeholders on the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) packages for youths and women in the host communities.

He reiterated PINL’s commitment to sustainable energy security in the country, calling for support from all stakeholders.

“We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to sustainable energy security, in full alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government. We have a shared responsibility to rescue our economy from further bleeding, and achieving this goal requires that all hands remain on deck.

“We look forward to your honest and constructive feedback on how we can sustain and surpass our outstanding records in combating pipeline vandalism, oil theft, and environmental pollution,” he said.

Speaking at the stakeholders’ meeting, Head of Field Operations, Eastern Corridor of the Project Monitoring Office, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Engr Akponine Omojevwe, called for effective collaboration between host communities and PINL.

He noted that for the progress already achieved in the sector to be sustained, stakeholders and host communities must work closely with the surveillance company.

We want to emphasize that there must be collaboration between PINL and the communities. PINL has gone the extra mile by approving scholarships for the host communities. They have gone out to make sure their areas of operations benefit from their activities; let us make sure that in this task of securing the pipelines, we support them, don’t destroy their equipment,” he urged.

Meanwhile, the collaborative security operations between PINL and the Special Prosecution Taskforce (SPT) of the Federal Government have led to the busting of two illegal refining sites in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The sites, operating under the cover of a logistics company, Emekus Nigeria Ltd, and a large piggery, were used for the active illegal refining of millions of litres of stolen petroleum products, with equipment for the illicit business found on site.

While Emekus Nigeria Ltd is located at the Umuebule axis of Oyigbo, the piggery is located in a remote area east of the bank of the Imo River. Bags of stolen crude awaiting refining, three tanks of different capacities, and a 33,000-litre capacity truck, among other items, were confiscated by the surveillance company.

During the inspection of the piggery, led by CSP Omar Sini, Head of Investigation, Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Taskforce on the Hydrocarbon Sector, a suspect believed to be the farm manager fled when he sighted the team approaching the farm.

Andrew Ebikeme of PINL explained how the discovery was made: “This is an illegal refining site with products from stolen crude. The area was discovered using intelligence information provided by PINL community-based surveillance guards.

“We came here, and what we saw was mind-boggling. As you can see, this is supposed to be a logistics base, but behind it we have this illegal activity going on. Right now, this has been confiscated by the special prosecution team”.

He stated that to be able to make the discovery, PINL had maintained a healthy and cordial working relationship with the SPT and all other stakeholders in the protection of the nation’s oil assets, including different strata of the host communities.

On his part, CSP Sini, Head of Investigation, Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Taskforce on Illicit Activities in the Hydrocarbon Sector, confirmed that the illegal refining sites were busted relying on credible intelligence from PINL surveillance officers.

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He said that three suspects — a woman and two other accomplices — were arrested at Emekus Nigeria Ltd and would be prosecuted immediately after investigations were concluded.

He added that about 108 suspects were already remanded across the Niger Delta and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

CSP Sini stated that the SPT had secured two convictions, with 38 active cases at trial and others still under investigation.

He also confirmed that 60,000 litres of stolen products were contained in sacks inside a section of the premises of Emekus Nigeria Ltd.

He further explained that the SPT was able to discover the piggery through intelligence information from PINL, stressing that the location was so remote that only drone surveillance could detect it.

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