WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Urges Immediate Action to End Oil Theft in Nigeria

 Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and former Nigerian Finance Minister, has called for urgent measures to combat the ongoing issue of massive crude oil theft in Nigeria. Speaking at the 2024 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on Sunday, Okonjo-Iweala emphasized that there are no longer valid excuses for failing to address the problem, citing the availability of advanced technology designed to combat such theft.

In her keynote address titled ‘A Social Contract For Nigeria’s Future,’ Okonjo-Iweala highlighted the detrimental impact of oil theft on Nigeria’s economy and financial stability. She stated, “A second aspect of security relates to the security of national assets. Nigerians have seen for years how organised crude oil theft on a massive scale seriously undermines the economic and financial health of the country. All Nigerians must agree that stealing of our national assets of any type is intolerable and must be stopped.”

Okonjo-Iweala pointed out that with the current technological advancements, there is no justification for the continued inaction against oil theft. She stressed that these innovations can track and prevent theft, and called for decisive action to address the issue.

Additionally, Okonjo-Iweala addressed the misuse of insecurity for political gain, urging politicians to cease weaponizing security issues against their opponents. She remarked, “We certainly cannot have security without development. We all know that security has been weaponised in our country for political purposes by political actors, leading partly to the situation we have now. This has to stop.”

The conference, themed ‘Pressing Forward: A National Posture to Rebuilding Nigeria,’ was attended by notable figures including former Ghanaian President John Mahama, President of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu. Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas were also represented at the event.