House Committees Oppose Decentralizing Pipeline Surveillance Contract

House Committees Reject Calls to Decentralise Pipeline Surveillance Contract

The Joint Committee of the House of Representatives on Host Communities (HOSTCOM) and Public Petitions announced that it opposes further decentralisation of the country’s pipeline surveillance contract.

The decision was made on Wednesday after a high‑level joint retreat that brought together lawmakers and Niger Delta stakeholders in Owerri, Imo State. Participants agreed to shift the region’s focus from disputes over pipeline contracts to a new legislative effort to increase host‑community funding under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.

The retreat, titled “Strengthening Pipeline Surveillance Through Host Communities Partnership, Accountability and Sustainable Development Under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021,” concluded with a vote of confidence in Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.

Lawmakers urged the federal government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to grant Tantita a long‑term contract extension.

In resolutions signed at the end of deliberations on May 27, 2026, the Joint Committee stated that Chapter 3 of the PIA already provides a comprehensive framework for decentralised community participation in pipeline surveillance via the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) and the mandatory three‑per‑cent operating‑expenditure contribution by oil companies.

Accordingly, the retreat rejected new demands for further decentralisation of the surveillance contract, which is currently managed by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited.

Lawmakers noted that Sections 234–258 of the PIA already guarantee legal and operational decentralisation for oil‑producing communities across the Niger Delta.

Participants accused promoters of the agitation of pursuing “personal contract interests disguised as community advocacy.”

The resolutions declared: “All calls for further ‘decentralisation’ of the private security contract are hereby dismissed as baseless and anti‑Niger Delta.”

Following the vote, the Joint Committee passed a unanimous confidence motion in Tantita and called for a long‑term renewal of its surveillance contract to consolidate gains made in the fight against crude‑oil theft and pipeline vandalism.

“Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, in partnership with NNPCL, has rendered demonstrably effective service in the protection of crude oil pipelines and the recovery of national crude‑oil production,” the committee said.

The retreat also endorsed President Bola Tinubu, the NNPCL, and the Office of the National Security Adviser, praising their roles in restoring peace and protecting Nigeria’s economic lifeline.

The committees resolved to sponsor an amendment to the PIA that would increase HOSTCOM statutory funding from three per cent to six per cent.

The proposed amendment, according to lawmakers, is intended to strengthen the HOSTCOM framework and provide greater resources for infrastructure, youth empowerment, environmental remediation and sustainable development in host communities.