Nigeria approves a bold new security measure as President Bola Tinubu’s government greenlights 37 fresh evacuation routes.
These corridors are designed to improve access to oil facilities and better respond to threats such as theft and vandalism.
Energy Minister Heineken Lokpobiri announced this move aims to ease the evacuation of crude from aging wells and pipelines.
He noted that outdated infrastructure and bottlenecks have long hampered Nigeria’s output targets.
Nigeria currently produces around 1.8 million barrels per day. But efforts to raise that to 2.5 million bpd have been stalled by security lapses and pipeline challenges.
Security forces have recently stepped up operations—deploying drones, helicopters, and maritime patrols to disrupt oil theft gangs.
They have destroyed dozens of illegal refining sites and seized substantial stolen crude.
According to regulators, theft has dropped to just 5,000 barrels per day from previous levels well above 100,000 bpd. This progress allowed production to climb to about 1.7 million bpd.
The newly approved routes aim to support these gains by ensuring secured, efficient movement of oil. Investors and operators are watching closely, as stronger logistics could open the path to unlocking Nigeria’s full production potential.
