…To Make Stiffer Laws Against Oil Theft, Terrorism ABUJA – A bill seeking priority for locally manufactured automobile vehi-cles has scaled second reading in the Senate. The bill sponsored by Senator Ndubueze Patrick Chiwuba (Imo North) is seeking to mandate Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government to prioritise patronage of locally manufactured automobiles in their procurement processes. Titled ‘Local Automotive Industry Patronage Bill, 2025’, the bill is to address Nigeria’s longstanding overdependence on imported goods, especially automobiles. Senator Ndubueze, who led the debate on the floor of the Senate, said the practice has negatively impacted the naira and under-mined local industries. “We have failed to institu-tionalise the use of indigenous products, brands, and services in Nigeria and have instead glorified foreign goods of no particular su-perior quality. Today, we see the see-sawing of the naira and with every plunge, inflation bites hard-er,” he said. The lawmaker lamented that despite the issuance of 54 automo-bile manufacturing licences, only six companies remain operational due to forex constraints and inad-equate infrastructure. According to him, several au-tomakers moved to nearby Ghana and are setting up assembly plants there with plans to export the ve-hicles to Nigeria. Ndubueze stressed the urgent need for a sustainable automobile policy that would institutionalise the use of Nigerian-made vehi-cles, especially in government. “How do we stem the free fall of the naira if we cannot address our appetite for foreign goods? How do we support the devel-opment of indigenous brands if the biggest spender refuses to buy made-in-Nigeria goods?” He queried. He proposed that at least 75% of official vehicles used by public officers and civil servants should be locally manufactured, not merely assembled. This, he said, “is the first step to saving our economy, protecting our currency, and creating jobs for our people.” According to Ndubueze, com-panies that qualify as local man-ufacturers must meet conditions such as having at least 70% Ni-gerian workforce, investing 75% of their R&D budget locally, and possessing full-scale technology like robotic painting machines and electrophoresis systems. He argued that “government support for local industry should be seen as both strategically im-portant, a long-term investment, and a national security impera-tive.” The senator cited examples of countries like China, India, and Malaysia, which initially banned imported cars to grow their local automotive sectors. “Today, these countries have perfected their local processes, and we are now importing their products, some of which cannot compete with our locally manu-factured vehicles,” he said. The Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Mongunu, speaking in support of the bill said the proposal would give legislative teeth to the Fed-eral Executive Council’s (FEC) earlier directive on prioritising local products. “This law will insulate the directive from the whims and caprices of subsequent adminis-trations who may want to reverse it,” Mongunu stated. Deputy Senate President, Ji-brin Barau, also endorsed the bill, saying its passage would “provide jobs for automobile engineers in the country and encourage more investors to move into the sector.” The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Public Pro-curement for further legislative input. The committee is expected to report back in four weeks. Senate To Make Stiffer Laws Against Oil Theft, Terrorism Meanwhile, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Ak-pabio, has reiterated the commit-ment of the National Assembly to tackle crude oil theft, saying the legislature is considering stiffer penalties for oil theft, including terrorism charges for major of-fenders. Senator Akpabio disclosed this while declaring open a two-day public hearing on the incessant and nefarious acts of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta and the actors at the Senate wing of the National Assembly. Represented by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, he said the 10th National Assembly will not stand by while the country’s economy bleeds. “We are prepared to strength-en laws, enhance oversight, and ensure that agencies responsible for protecting our oil assets are held accountable. “Specifically, we will consid-er: Stiffer penalties for oil theft, including terrorism charges for major offenders. Mandatory dig-ital metering and real-time mon-itoring of all oil production and exports. Greater transparency in crude oil lifting and revenue reporting. Enhanced collabora-tion between the military, police, NSCDC, EFCC, and internation-al partners to track and intercept stolen crude,” he said. He said the fight against crude oil theft cannot be left to the gov-ernment alone as such oil compa-nies must invest in modern sur-veillance technology and secure pipelines. According to him, host com-munities must see themselves as first-line defenders of these assets, not victims or accomplices. He said security agencies must demonstrate zero tolerance for complicity. “As I declare this public hear-ing open, I charge all stakehold-ers to engage with the utmost seriousness. The recommenda-tions from this session must lead to actionable, measurable, and time-bound solutions. Nigeria’s survival depends on it. “To the criminals stealing our crude oil, your time is up. To the agencies tasked with protecting our resources, the nation is watch-ing. And to this Ad-hoc Commit-tee, the Senate expects nothing less than a robust, no-holds-barred report that will guide decisive leg-islative and executive actions. It is time to take back what belongs to Nigeria,” he said. He commended the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on Incessant Crude Oil Theft, chaired by Sen-ator Ned Munir Nwoko (APC: Delta North), for convening the public hearing. “Nigeria’s oil and gas sector remains the lifeblood of our econ-omy, accounting for over 80% of government revenue and 90% of foreign exchange earnings. “Yet, for decades, we have watched in dismay as criminal syndicates—both foreign and domestic—continue to siphon our crude oil with brazen im-punity. “Recent reports indicate that Nigeria loses between 150,000 and 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day to theft—a staggering hemorrhage that translates to billions of dollars in lost revenue annually. “This theft is not a victimless crime. It directly undermines our economic stability, devalues the naira, starves critical sectors of funding, and perpetuates pov-erty in oil-producing communi-ties. Worse still, it finances illegal arms, fuels violence, and embold-ens criminal networks that threat-en national security. “Let me be unequivocal, crude oil theft is an act of economic sab-otage and must be treated as such. Those behind this criminal enter-prise are enemies of the state, and they must be pursued, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law. “We can no longer tolerate a situation where a few greedy individuals and cartels hold our nation’s wealth hostage while mil-lions of Nigerians suffer. “While previous efforts have been made to curb this men-ace, the persistence of oil theft suggests systemic failures that require immediate and decisive action. “This public hearing must ad-dress key questions: Who are the perpetrators? (Are they militants, corrupt officials, international col-laborators, or all three?) Why have current surveillance and security measures failed? How are stolen crude oil shipments exported without detection? What legisla-tive and policy reforms can close existing loopholes? “We must also critically ex-amine the roles of regulatory agencies, security forces, oil com-panies, and host communities in either enabling or combating this crime,” the President of the Senate stated.