Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is quietly entering one of its most stable periods in more than a decade, driven by a convergence of improved security, decisive state action, private-sector innovation, and unprecedented technology deployment across the Niger Delta. The just-concluded 9th African Energy Summit, hosted by Solewant Group at its expansive Industrial Park in Onne, pulled the veil off what many operators had already begun to notice: the pipelines are finally becoming safer, and the numbers are validating the trend.
For years, pipeline sabotage, tapping points, illegal refineries, and systematic theft turned the Niger Delta into one of the most challenging upstream environments anywhere. Production losses routinely exceeded 400,000 barrels per day at their peak; at one point, output collapsed to 600,000 barrels per day, pushing Africa’s biggest producer to the brink. But 2024–2025 has rewritten the story. Today, production is hovering around 1.8 million barrels per day, with the government projecting 2.06 million bpd under the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
Technology Steps In: Solewant’s Game-Changer
At the centre of that positive swing is technology—specifically, pipeline protection innovation championed by Nigeria’s foremost pipe-coating giant, Solewant Group. The company’s Group Managing Director, Solomon Ewanehi, used the summit’s opening session to confirm what many operators had been whispering about: that Solewant has developed and deployed its most advanced anti-vandalism pipeline technology yet.
Installed and commissioned in July 2025, the new system integrates enhanced coating, structural reinforcement, 3D-applied protective layering, and embedded detection interfaces—capabilities previously sourced entirely from Europe and North America.
Ewanehi was unequivocal:
“We now have the latest technology protecting these pipelines… we have struggled for years, but the technology is finally here.”
The industry reaction was immediate. Regulators, service companies and IOCs present at the summit applauded the achievement, noting that complex pipe-bending and 3D coating tasks—once exported—are now executed domestically with higher precision and lower cost.
Solewant’s rise has been supported by institutions such as NCDMB, PETAN, and OGTAN, and is part of a broader roadmap to extend advanced pipeline solutions across Africa, including new operations in Namibia. With more than 100 major projects delivered—including deep-offshore—the firm’s technology is shaping a new baseline for pipeline integrity across the Delta.
Zero-Sabotage: A New Reality for Operators
The magnitude of security improvement is best illustrated by the testimony of operators.
During a recent visit to NUPRC headquarters, Chevron Nigeria’s Managing Director, Jim Swartz, made a startling disclosure: the company has recorded zero sabotage incidents in one full year.
“This is the longest we’ve gone without oil theft,” he said—an extraordinary statement given Chevron’s longstanding operations in some of the most challenging terrain.
Chevron’s experience is mirrored across several OPTS companies and is closely linked to the rise of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL). Tantita’s hybrid model—combining community intelligence, technology-aided surveillance, and fast-response teams—has sharply reduced tapping points and illegal bunkering activity since 2022.
Military Strategy Evolves: New Architecture, New Mindset
The Nigerian military presence in the Delta has also undergone a quiet transformation.
From the podium at the Solewant Summit, senior military officers offered a rare insight into the security architecture reshaping the region.
Brigadier General D. Umaru of the 6th Division, which oversees the Delta, confirmed an undeniable trend:
“Oil thefts have definitely gone down and crude oil production has increased significantly in recent years. We are moving in the right direction.”
Key elements of the improved strategy include:
- Targeted Hotspot Monitoring
Instead of broad, unfocused patrols, the Army now tracks high-risk corridors using layered intelligence, focusing resources only where sabotage risk is highest.
- Financial-Flow Surveillance
Working with financial intelligence units, the military now tracks illicit financing channels that sustain bunkering networks—disrupting logistics long before sabotage attempts occur.
- Judicial Acceleration via Special Courts
A major structural shift occurred in March when the Office of the National Security Adviser established a special court for pipeline-related crimes. More than 400 prosecutions have already been recorded.
The military notes that improved judicial efficiency correlates directly with rising national output.
Navy’s Falcon Eye and Drone Integration
The Nigerian Navy has also elevated maritime and creek-line security. According to Navy Captain A. Okorie, two major tools are transforming surveillance: Falcon Eye, a coastal intelligence system with visibility up to the Exclusive Economic Zone. Drones deployed during sea and creek patrols, providing real-time coverage in previously unmonitored terrain.
“We are always a step ahead of the criminals,” Okorie stated.
A New Social Compact in the Delta
Beyond technology and force projection, the security improvement has had social dividends. TSSNL, in particular, has absorbed hundreds of Niger Delta youths into surveillance operations, lowering the drivers of restiveness. Where unemployment once fed an illicit economy, legitimate security work now provides alternative livelihoods.
The Bigger Picture
Solewant’s pipeline technology, improved inter-agency coordination, private-sector surveillance, and advanced naval monitoring are forming a multi-layered security ecosystem that is finally taming one of Nigeria’s most stubborn challenges.
The result is not merely higher production—it is the restoration of confidence.
A stable Niger Delta means predictable output, stronger fiscal revenue, renewed investment appetite, and a future where Nigeria’s oil industry is shaped by technology and governance rather than sabotage and losses.
The Delta is turning a corner, and for the first time in many years, the numbers—and the mood—agree.
