The Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr. Kingsley Emu, has stressed that lasting security of oil and gas facilities can only be achieved through strong community engagement and sustained development initiatives.
Dr. Emu made this assertion while addressing participants of Course 8/2025 of the Strategic Management and Policy Studies programme at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, who were in the state for a national study tour. He explained that protecting critical oil infrastructure requires consistent community development efforts, meaningful corporate social responsibility from oil companies, policy refinement, stronger legal frameworks, and the institutionalization of community policing.
According to him, tapping into grassroots intelligence by leveraging local knowledge and encouraging citizen participation can significantly reduce acts of economic sabotage.
He noted that to effectively combat pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering activities that have severely affected national revenue the state government established the Peace Building and Advisory Council as well as the Delta State Waterways and Land Security Committee. These bodies, he said, have played a crucial role in curbing criminal activities in the region.
Dr. Emu further highlighted Delta State’s strategic importance, pointing out that it holds the largest gas reserves for power generation in the country, while oil contributes approximately 48 percent of the state’s revenue making the protection of the sector a top priority.
Earlier, the team leader, Major General James Myam (rtd), explained that Delta State was chosen for the study tour because of its central role in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. He said the delegation’s visit was aimed at examining the state’s security strategies with the goal of identifying best practices that could be applied nationwide.
The eleven-month course attracts senior participants from various intelligence and security agencies, and graduates are awarded a Master’s degree in Strategic Management and Policy Studies. The study tour is themed: “Security of Oil and Gas Facilities in the Niger Delta: A Panacea for National Development.”
