Stakeholders under the Niger Delta Roundtable have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to decentralise pipeline surveillance contracts, warning that the current centralised model is failing to curb oil theft and is costing Nigeria billions in lost revenue.

Rising from an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, the group urged the federal government to distribute pipeline security responsibilities across states and host communities rather than retaining a single contractor.

In a statement signed by Dr A. Taro Theophilus, the group described the existing arrangement as ineffective, citing persistent illegal bunkering and vandalism.

According to them, Nigeria lost 93.74 million barrels of crude oil in the first eight months of 2025, translating to about $6.85 billion in revenue at an average price of $73.06 per barrel.

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They noted that actual daily production fell significantly below budget targets, with output averaging 1.673 million barrels per day against a projected 2.06 million.

The shortfall has had severe fiscal consequences. The group said the oil sector recorded a revenue gap of N941.23 billion in July and August 2025 alone, while cumulative shortfalls over seven months reached N18.61 trillion.

Despite the surveillance contract, illegal refining and bunkering operations remain widespread, with recent discoveries of illicit facilities as far as Abia State highlighting the adaptability of criminal networks.

The stakeholders argued that concentrating surveillance under a single contractor creates a "structural vulnerability," lacking competition and enforceable performance standards.

They proposed a decentralised model involving multiple Niger Delta-based firms with local knowledge of terrain and actors.

They also called for an independent audit of the current contract and a transparent, competitive framework with strict performance benchmarks and penalties.