The recent statements by the CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) before the Nigerian Senate ad hoc committee can only raise eyebrows and spark outrage. The suggestion that increasing oil production is the solution to Nigeria’s problems in the sector can only be deemed untruthful and unpatriotic. Furthermore, attributing low production to sabotage and theft while crediting the Nigerian president with support is misguided and fails to address the root issues plaguing the country’s oil sector.
The Real Problem: Poverty and Exploitation
Nigeria’s oil industry will not be rescued by simply pumping out more oil. The real problem is poverty, stemming from the country’s major export resource being controlled by foreigners. The indigenous African people, starting with those in Nigeria, will not benefit from increased production. This is a stark reminder of colonial exploitation, where Western companies reap the rewards while the local population suffers.
Renegotiating Oil Contracts
Rather than perpetuating this cycle of exploitation, the oil contracts should be immediately renegotiated to benefit Nigeria and its people. A minimum of 60% of all revenue from every single barrel of oil produced should go to Nigeria. The current contracts, which prioritize Western companies like Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Shell, and Total Energies, are colonially exploitative and unacceptable.
Prioritizing Nigeria’s Interests
The NNPC and the Nigerian government must prioritize the country’s interests over colonial practices and conspiracy with foreign entities. The claim that the NNPC is guided by laws that prioritize demand and supply over indigenous producers like the Dangote refinery is unpatriotic and arrogant. Judgment, sense, and patriotism should prevail.
A Call to Action
If the Nigerian government fails to separate itself from colonial practices and renegotiate oil contracts, it will be seen as a colonial agent by the African people. The people will not be silenced, and it is only a matter of time before they find a means to defeat these exploitative systems completely. The future of Nigeria depends on it.
Kwame Gonza is a PanAfrican member of the African Continental Unity Party, a Mechanical Engineer, a geopolitical analyst, and the architect of the African Railway Triangle Network Master Plan.
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