NAF, NNPCL Scale Up Tech-Driven Fight to Protect Oil Facilities
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) have strengthened their strategic alliance to fortify security around Nigeria’s vital oil and gas infrastructure, deploying advanced intelligence and surveillance capabilities to tackle growing threats against national energy assets.
The renewed collaboration was announced following a courtesy visit by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, to NNPCL Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Bayo Bayo Ojulari, in Abuja on Tuesday.
In a statement issued by NAF spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the Air Force described the partnership as a decisive step toward protecting pipelines, flow stations, offshore platforms, loading terminals, and other facilities that fuel Nigeria’s economic lifeline.
Ejodame said the CAS underscored that defending the country’s energy corridors is now a top national priority under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda—especially as oil theft, pipeline sabotage, and maritime criminality continue to undermine revenue generation and national stability.
According to him, Air Marshal Aneke emphasized that the NAF is scaling up its Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations using modern platforms, real-time data fusion, and integrated command systems to detect and neutralise threats before they escalate.
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“He stated clearly that enhanced coordination between the NAF and NNPCL will boost Nigeria’s oil and gas output, curb revenue leakages, and reinforce the country’s economic recovery efforts,” Ejodame noted.
The CAS also highlighted that joint operations already conducted by the NAF, sister services, and other security agencies have significantly reduced oil theft in recent months—gains he said must now be consolidated through deeper inter-agency synergy and technology-driven responses.
Responding, the NNPCL GCEO, Engr. Ojulari, praised the Air Force for its unwavering commitment to protecting national assets and described the upgraded partnership as timely, especially given the President’s directive to ramp up investment and production in the energy sector.
He assured that NNPCL is committed to expanding cooperation with the Air Force, including intelligence sharing, joint mission planning, and deployment of advanced security technologies across vulnerable installations.
Ejodame added that Air Marshal Aneke reaffirmed that the NAF will remain a “reliable and battle-ready partner” in defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity, securing critical infrastructure, and safeguarding the nation’s economic future.
“With this renewed partnership, the Air Force is positioned to deliver greater airpower effects against vandals, insurgents, oil thieves, and criminal networks threatening Nigeria’s energy security,” the spokesperson said.
The strengthened alliance, he noted, marks a major step in ensuring uninterrupted energy supply, stabilising production, and building sustainable security around national oil and gas assets.
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