Nigeria has lost 130 million barrels of oil since the resurgence of attacks by groups of militants in the Niger Delta region on oil installations in Q1 of 2016.

This is coming after the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Emmanuel Kachikwu, said the President’s petroleum industry roadmap would assist in stabilizing the region for the oil and gas sector.

According to Energy Voice, this figure was revealed by the vice chairman of the Security Subcommittee of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

Over 59 attacks on oil and gas facilities, 32 militant groups and 275 kidnappings across 29 states of which 45 are oil and gas personnel have been recorded this year.

At the height of this crisis, Nigerian production dropped to 1.1 million barrels per day, affecting the economy and making the country lose its position as Africa’s top producer to Angola last March.

The Nigerian government is struggling to reach a consensus with the militants who are demanding for a greater share of energy wealth to go to the swampland region.

Anita Fatunji