Nigeria to start using drones to curb oil theft

Nigeria is to deploy drones to monitor the movement of ships in order to curtail the rampant theft of oil in the country.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) intends to end the regular occurrence of crude theft in the next eight months

Nigeria is the biggest crude producer in Africa but its revenue is severely reduced by theft and attacks on oil pipelines.

A 2013 report by think tank Chatham House revealed that 100,000 barrels per day were being stolen, which is equivalent to 5% of Nigeria's daily production.

Senior politicians and military officers are said to be involved in the illegal trade.

Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa with crude oil generating about 70% of the government's revenue.