Tompolo Named 2025 Social Impact Person of the Year at Leadership Awards

Former Niger Delta militant leader and businessman, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has been recognised as the 2025 Social Impact Person of the Year at the Leadership Annual Conference and Awards.

The announcement was made at the well-attended ceremony, which drew top government officials, captains of industry and civil society actors from across the country. The organisers said the honour was in recognition of his influence on security, grassroots development and economic inclusion in the Niger Delta.

In the award citation, special reference was made to Tompolo’s role as head of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, a firm engaged by the Federal Government to strengthen surveillance around oil and gas installations in the region. The company’s mandate includes curbing crude oil theft along strategic pipelines and coastal routes.

Stakeholders at the event noted that communities long troubled by illegal refining, environmental damage and youth unemployment have recorded measurable improvements, attributing some of the gains to structured security interventions and local engagement initiatives.

Available industry figures from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) have indicated a rebound in crude oil output following intensified anti-oil theft measures. Observers have linked part of that recovery to coordinated monitoring operations involving Tantita and relevant security agencies.

Tantita’s operations cut across several oil-producing states, focusing on pipeline surveillance, maritime asset protection and intelligence gathering within host communities. The firm also works with security agencies to deter illicit refining activities.

Another component of its impact, according to stakeholders, is the structured employment of local youths, an approach seen as contributing to stability and reducing incentives for pipeline vandalism.

The recognition places Tompolo among individuals acknowledged for delivering measurable community impact and reinforces ongoing conversations around sustainable security and development in the Niger Delta.