UK-Based Scholar Unveils Groundbreaking Solutions to Niger Delta Oil Pipeline Insecurity

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‎In what may mark a historic turning point for Nigeria’s embattled oil sector, UK-based Nigerian scholar, Dr. Abraham Abdul Jatto, has unveiled a comprehensive new book and a cutting-edge technological innovation aimed at addressing the decades-long crisis of insecurity surrounding onshore oil and gas pipeline infrastructure in the Niger Delta.
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‎The book, titled “Onshore Oil and Gas Pipeline Infrastructure Insecurity: Vandalism, Threats and Conflicts in the Niger Delta and the Global South,” was presented to the public on Saturday, July 12, 2025, during a well-attended event at the Azaiki Public Library in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. The launch attracted top government dignitaries, traditional rulers, civil society organizations, oil industry stakeholders, and members of the academic community.
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‎Dr. Jatto, an Etsako-born scholar and researcher based in the United Kingdom, described the work as a product of years of in-depth study, field research in the creeks of the Niger Delta, and comparative analysis of similar pipeline conflict zones across seven African and Asian nations. According to him, the book proposes a paradigm shift from state-heavy interventions to community-inclusive and technology-driven solutions.
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‎“I chose Bayelsa for the launch because this is where Nigeria’s oil journey began in Oloibiri. It is only fitting that the solution to this decades-old crisis begins here as well,” he told newsmen.
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‎Spanning 409 pages and divided into eight chapters, the book critically examines the root causes of oil infrastructure insecurity, including environmental neglect, political manipulation, economic exploitation, and community exclusion, and proposes a suite of empirical, theoretical, and digital tools for sustainable resolution.
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‎A key innovation unveiled alongside the book is AiiSecR, a proprietary AI-powered surveillance application developed by Dr. Jatto. The app is designed for real-time monitoring, threat detection, rapid reporting, and instant response across oil-producing regions. It promises to drastically reduce the over-reliance on costly military task forces and opaque pipeline surveillance contracts that have long drained public finances.
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‎“The days of the government spending millions of dollars on ineffective pipeline security contracts should be over. AiiSecR is capable of handling surveillance, intelligence gathering, and data analysis at scale, with accuracy and transparency,” Dr. Jatto said.
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‎His intervention comes amid widespread disillusionment with existing government and institutional efforts. Over the years, agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and frameworks like the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) have failed to bring meaningful peace or prosperity to the region. Despite numerous joint task forces and community security initiatives, pipeline vandalism, oil theft, and environmental degradation persist.
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‎Dr. Jatto’s solutions, combining academic rigor with technological innovation, are already being hailed as timely and potentially revolutionary.
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‎Stakeholders at the event described the work as a “roadmap to reclaiming the Niger Delta” and called for government adoption and community buy-in.
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‎With vast untapped gas reserves and a history of being Nigeria’s economic lifeline, the Niger Delta remains a paradox, rich in resources, yet ravaged by conflict. If widely embraced, Dr. Jatto’s blueprint may finally offer a path toward sustainable development, environmental justice, and economic revival for the region and beyond.