The Nigerian Navy says its operations have restored near normalcy in the nation’s crude oil production.

The outgoing flag officer commanding (FOC) of the Eastern Naval Command, Rear Adm. Saheed Akinwande, stated this during a farewell parade in his honour in Calabar on Friday.

He said the command, which covers operations in 13 states, had significantly reduced crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other forms of criminality in its area of coverage.

“Aside from being the FOC eastern naval command, I was privileged to be assigned as the commander of Task Group Operation Delta Sanity 2 by the Chief of Naval Staff.

“The operation was flagged off on 30th December 2024 with a strategic objective to curtail the menace of crude oil thieves, vandals, and other economic saboteurs.

“It is heartwarming to share with you that Operation Delta Sanity 2 has recorded notable achievements in the nation’s maritime sector,” he said.

According to Mr Akinwande, the operation has contributed significantly to boosting terminal factors and increased production output.

“As of June this year, OPEC reported that Nigeria was the highest crude oil producing nation in Africa, and crude oil production has increased to about 1.6 million barrels per day,” he stated.

The outgoing 41st FOC noted that the achievements recorded would not have been possible if not for the dedication and contributions of staff under his command.

He also noted the conducive environment enabled by the Chief of Naval Staff as another contributing factor.

“These visible results that we are all proud of would not have been possible without the unwavering support and professional cooperation of the principal staff officers, commanders, commandants, and commanding officers who worked tirelessly.

“These accomplishments stand as a testament to the dedication of every officer and rating who served under this command during my watch,” Mr Akinwande said.

Mr Akinwande appealed for the same cooperation to be accorded to the person taking over from him.

The command has a coastline of about 110 nautical miles and a sea area of around 22,000 square nautical miles, which extends into the joint development zone with Equatorial Guinea and the São Tomé and Príncipe coastline.

(NAN)