The Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, and the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority have reached a consensus to explore the implementation of advanced technologies aimed at improving the oversight and regulation of petroleum product distribution across the supply chain.
The statement was included in a communiqué that was co-signed by the National Security Adviser, the NMDPRA, NNPC, and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, among others. This followed a stakeholder meeting focused on the smuggling of petroleum products, which took place on Monday at the Office of the National Security Adviser.
The statement reads: “This campaign would be a joint effort of all participating agencies, leveraging various media platforms to reach all segments of society.
“The NNPC Ltd. and NMDPRA, in collaboration with the NCS, agreed to explore the adoption of advanced technologies to enhance monitoring and control of petroleum product movement throughout the supply chain.
“This includes periodic review meetings of the operation, with participation from all relevant agencies and associations.
“The meeting acknowledged the significant costs associated with anti-smuggling operations. A resolution was passed to advocate for increased budgetary allocation for Operation Whirlwind, with support from all participating agencies.
“The Operation Whirlwind team, with support from other agencies, will develop a strategy to actively engage community leaders in border areas as partners in the fight against smuggling.”
They also reached a consensus that the NSA would collaborate with appropriate government agencies to enforce existing legislation, with the goal of enhancing penalties for smuggling and offering more substantial legal support for anti-smuggling initiatives. The forum urged the NCS to take action against offenders.
