Yenagoa, Nigeria – Host communities of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) have commended Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for its sustained stakeholder engagement and outstanding role in curbing oil theft and vandalism across the Niger Delta region.
The commendation was made during PINL’s monthly stakeholders’ meeting in Yenagoa, where community leaders, youth groups, and civil society organizations urged the Federal Government to broaden the company’s mandate beyond pipeline surveillance to include flow stations, wellheads, and other critical oil and gas assets.
Speaking at the meeting, President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri, praised PINL’s community-driven approach, describing it as a model for local content success.
“This company has shown that when you empower a local operator who understands the culture and the needs of the people, problems that once seemed intractable become conversations — and complex issues can be resolved,” he said.
Lokpobiri further noted that PINL has gone above its current mandate and called for the government to expand its responsibilities, stressing that such empowerment would position the Niger Delta as a hub of peace, investment, and development.
Comrade Ebiware Edmund, Leader of the Coalition of Grassroots Leaders in the Niger Delta, highlighted the impact of PINL’s engagement.
“We were not getting it this right before now. Since PINL came on board, communities are involved in the process, and that is why the pipelines are more secure today,” he remarked.
Other speakers, including Dr. John John Onyifie and Mike Edonkumo of the Niger Delta Buckingham Palace Group, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the need for greater protection of flow stations and recognizing PINL’s contributions to regional stability, job creation, and economic prosperity.
Community leaders also credited the company with creating employment opportunities, scholarships, and empowerment programs, especially for women. Edmund suggested that PINL should be granted an operational license in the oil sector, not just surveillance rights.
Responding, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, General Manager of Community Relations and Stakeholders Engagement at PINL, announced that the firm has expanded operations to include the protection of gas lines and other critical national infrastructure in the Eastern Corridor.
“With the expanded scope, we have created more surveillance jobs for youths in the region. PINL now provides direct employment to over 35,000 young people across oil-bearing communities in the Niger Delta,” he said.
Mezeh explained that the expansion aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes job creation and poverty alleviation. He also reported that PINL achieved zero infractions on the Trans Niger Pipeline in Bayelsa during the review period, with crude oil losses dropping to their lowest levels in 16 years, according to figures from the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
While acknowledging recent attempts by vandals in Rivers State, Mezeh confirmed that these were foiled through collaboration with security agencies, with suspects currently facing prosecution by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
“Our success is the result of collaboration with host communities and stakeholders. Together, we have demonstrated that security and development go hand in hand,” he noted.
As pressure mounts on the Federal Government to expand PINL’s mandate, stakeholders believe the company’s record of engagement, employment generation, and infrastructure protection offers a blueprint for managing national assets.
For communities in Bayelsa and beyond, the partnership has already fostered peace and stability. The next step, they argue, is for PINL’s success to be extended beyond pipelines to the wider oil and gas ecosystem.
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