FG Reports 22 Oil Workers Died on Duty Last Year

At least 22 workers in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry lost their lives while on duty in 2024, according to a report by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The commission also recorded 31 separate operational incidents, highlighting ongoing safety concerns within the country’s upstream sector despite the reforms brought by the Petroleum Industry Act.

Though the NUPRC report did not specify which operators or assets were involved, sources recall a major accident in October 2024, when an East Wind Aviation helicopter, carrying six officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) and two crew members, crashed en route from Port Harcourt to the FPSO–NUIMS Antan.

The NUPRC’s Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) performance report paints a grim picture, revealing that 732 oil spill incidents were recorded last year alone. More than half — 59.01% — were attributed to sabotage, with the Niger Delta region once again bearing the brunt.

These tragedies, according to the report, arose from operational hazards, ranging from equipment failures to security-related events. In response, the commission ramped up its safety oversight activities, including issuing over 26,000 Offshore Safety Permits and 237 Radiation Safety Permits in 2024.

“We’re enhancing compliance enforcement through investigations, audits, and digital monitoring tools,” the commission stated, noting its deployment of platforms like HostComply to improve transparency and community engagement.

The agency also expanded its environmental regulatory functions:

48 oil spill-related petitions were received,

183 waste discharge permits issued,

67 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) approvals granted,

150 waste management firms accredited,

and six violation cases were successfully resolved.

Further breakdown of approvals includes 35 Environmental Screening Reports, 91 Terms of Reference, 41 Environmental Evaluation Studies, and 30 baseline studies and seabed surveys.

The commission’s HSE and Community Department is responsible for ensuring sustainability in upstream activities. Its Occupational Safety & Industrial Health Unit oversees accident investigations, offshore safety certification, and workplace risk mitigation, while its Process Safety Unit focuses on ensuring systems and personnel operate under safe, technically sound conditions.

Despite these systems, the loss of 22 lives raises difficult questions about the sufficiency of current safety protocols. It signals an urgent need for operators and regulators alike to double down on accountability, proactive hazard identification, and field-level risk management.

As oil remains central to Nigeria’s economy, the real measure of progress may lie not only in barrels pumped or permits issued — but in how well the industry protects those who make it run.