Oil Theft: U.S. Delegation Visits Nigeria

SAN FRANCISCO, December 11, 2013, (THEWILL) -  Apparently worried by the increasing spate of oil theft in the country with its attendant revenue loss, a fact-finding U.S. delegation has concluded a visit to Nigeria. The delegation, which came on the invitation of the Federal Government between December 7 and 11, was led by Ambassador Carlos Pascual, Special Envoy for Energy at the Department of State, and the Honorable Sharon Burke, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy. A statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by the Information Office of the Public Affairs Section of the Embassy of the United States of America in Nigeria and emailed to THEWILL said the delegation met with a range of local, state and federal officials, as well as with members of Nigerian civil society. "Our interlocutors in civil society, the private sector, and many parts of government affirmed that key steps to address oil theft and revenue loss have been well established, particularly by Nigerian experts," said Ambassador Pascual. 'We heard consistently that now the challenge is implementation." Assistant Secretary Burke said "In all of our meetings, we heard that oil theft and revenue loss is a serious challenge for all Nigerians." And restating the importance of the visit to Nigeria-U.S. Relations, U.S. Ambassador to  Nigeria, James F. Entwistle, said  "This energy-related mission is another indicator of how much the United States values its relationship with Nigeria."