Plans to reverse the trend
Though not entirely new, Kachikwu in a podcast he released recently stated that between $50 and $100 billion was not earned by Nigeria in 10 years because of frequent attacks on oil and gas infrastructure by the Niger Delta militants. Kachikwu explained that at the peak of militancy within these periods, oil revenue dropped drastically, and production particularly ebbed from 2.2 million barrels per day (mbpd) to one million barrels per day in 2016.
He said:“As at 2016 on the average and looking at it historically that Nigeria was losing $50 to $100 billion as a result of the disruption.”
He specifically added that the country’s oil and gas industry could not earn over $7 billion from January to October 2016, saying that over the last decade spanning through various administrations, the industry suffered critical disruptions to operations resulting in the unearned incomes.
According to Kachikwu, the unearned income also included that which international oil companies (IOCs), independent producers as well the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) could not take from their operations in the fields.
“This is a problem that has consistently been there even before the government of President Obasanjo, and it went on into other governments. It is a problem that seems to be intractable. So, it is a difficult undertaking to try to embark on trying to resolve it once and for all, but we are very bullish about this,”Kachikwu said to buttress the longstanding existence of militancy and its impacts on Nigeria’s oil production.
Similarly, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of NNPC had from February 2015, consistently reported substantial deferred revenue averaging N25 billion per month from the a subsisting force majeure declared by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) following the destruction of 48-inch Forcados crude oil export line.
While the NNPC has repeatedly said in its monthly operations report that comprehensive measures to limit the impacts of oil assets destructions on the financials of the corporation were being initiated but with some success from stopgap approaches, Kachikwu in the podcast disclosed some detailed plans he would adopt to end this.
According to the minister, a 20-point agenda which include periodic engagements with communities and stakeholders in town hall meetings, inter-agency collaboration, ring-fenced state approach to security of oil installations, as well as security hold-hands efforts to guarantee peace and investment on state basis would be adopted.
He also listed focused investments in gas-to-power, incentive for peace scheme, massive revamp of social infrastructure bases of the communities and establishment of a Niger Delta Development Fund Initiative, as the other approaches he hoped would end militancy in the Niger Delta.
Christened“Oil Sector Militancy Challenges…Roadmap to Closure,”Kachikwu explained that the new approach was aimed at instituting permanent peace in the oilproducing region.
According to him, the Niger Delta crisis, coupled with the 45 per cent drop in oil production, worsened the financial challenges of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. He added that the new measures would address this financial challenge to the government.
Additionally, the minister emphasised that the crisis resulted in attacks on oil and gas facilities and the sub-optimal performance of the country’s refineries. He noted that Nigeria was unable to meet its international obligations as a result of the militancy.
Kachikwu explained that the new measure would build on existing efforts initiated by the government to end the crisis. According to him, a seven-point roadmap that