The Nigerian Navy has deployed 16 newly bought ships to the Niger Delta to guard critical oil infrastructure, local media report , quoting the Chief of the Nigerian Naval Staff. Still, the official said, the Nigerian Navy has a long way to go to eliminate the vessel capacity shortage it has been suffering. The oil industry of Nigeria is vital for the country, which makes pipeline vandalism and other militant activity in the Niger Delta all the more problematic. In August, a report from the Nigeria Natural Resource Charter revealed that the country had lost some US$7.23 billion (2.6 trillion naira) from oil theft in just two years, 2016 and 2017. Data from Chatham House suggests that in addition to oil theft in the Delta, Nigeria is also losing US$1.5 billion a month from pirates stealing oil. The figure was confirmed by Nigeria’s Vice President and is equal to […]