Heineken Lokpobiri, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, is advocating for a transition from oil-related activities to agriculture, emphasizing the profitability of the agricultural sector.
During a courtesy visit by leaders of communities in the Niger Delta region to his office, Lokpobiri urged them to educate their communities about the perils of crude oil theft and promote the benefits of focusing on agriculture. According to nairametrics.com,
Lokpobiri highlighted the current economic landscape, revealing that a liter of palm oil holds a higher market value than a liter of crude oil. In an effort to address the rampant issue of crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities, he called upon leaders to champion the cause of agriculture and steer their communities away from activities that endanger vital oil installations.
The Minister emphasized the critical need to protect the country’s oil infrastructure and discouraged citizens from engaging in illegal activities that could lead to environmental degradation and economic losses. Lokpobiri stressed the government’s commitment to addressing spillage incidents but also underscored the importance of preventive measures, particularly in curbing illegal crude oil bunkering.
In a plea to citizens across the nation, Lokpobiri urged a collective responsibility to safeguard Nigeria’s environment, natural resources, and the livelihoods of individuals in oil-producing regions. The call for a shift towards agriculture not only aligns with economic diversification but also aims to promote sustainable practices that contribute to the overall well-being of the nation. According to him, preventing these activities is not only economically beneficial but also crucial for the long-term preservation of Nigeria’s resources and well-being.
He said: “Anytime there is a spill, the companies engage with relevant government agencies and engage the communities that are affected from time to time to find the appropriate compensation for them. Unless it is sabotage; these people who are doing illegal refining every day are vandalizing the pipelines to take crude because of the activities of our people.
“But I have told them that look, we will just kill ourselves and even if you steal all the crude and refine and you make some money, you can’t feed your community. So, in the cause of doing these illegal activities, you are destroying marine life, the entire ecosystem is damaged, people can’t fish, they can’t farm, how will they survive and that’s what I have always told them.
“I have told people that look, for now, the oil belongs to the federal government, but your land and water resources belong to you, so concentrate on that. A bottle of palm oil is more expensive than a litre of crude oil, so if our people concentrate on agriculture and do whatever they can to protect our environment. “Whether the whole of the Niger Delta is polluted or not, Nigeria will still survive, whereas other people have a clean environment where they can do their normal business and survive, which we do not have. This is part of the advocacy that we need to do, when you go back home as leaders of these communities, please talk to them about the danger of what they are doing.”
