Host communities and stakeholders in the Niger Delta region have called on the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, and the Federal Government to extend the scope of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, beyond the Eastern Corridor to cover the entire country.
The call, they said, became necessary following PINL’s achievement of near-zero infractions on the Trans Niger Pipeline, TNP, crisscrossing 215 communities in the Eastern Corridor.
The stakeholders raised the demand during the monthly engagement meeting with representatives from pipelines host communities organised by PINL in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
They highlighted PINL’s strategy of maintaining consistent dialogue with the host communities and engaging community youths in surveillance roles as strategic measures that have contributed to securing the pipelines and, consequently, boosting the nation’s revenue.
Chairman of Southern Ijaw Traditional Rulers Council, HRH King Darius Job, who led the call at the stakeholders’ meeting, stated that all pipeline communities in the state were satisfied with the firm’s operations within their area.
He acknowledged that PINL’s operations have helped to reduce pollution and prevent crises in their communities.
“I want to thank you for what you are doing to protect our pipelines, and overall, the damage has been reduced.
“Our prayer is that all the pipelines in the federation should be handed over to you for proper surveillance work so that our pipelines will be safer and for the federal government to earn more money to do developmental projects,” he said.
King Job, however, called for increased incentives for the surveillance guards engaged by the company, saying, “Our celebration here is because of those people in the bush (surveillance guards), so they should be given preferential treatment with some sort of incentives so that they will work happily while they are in the forest.”
Also speaking, HRM King Funpere Gabriel Okah, King of Gbarain Kingdom, said they had observed changes since the company began operations in their domain.
He called on the stakeholders to rally behind the surveillance firm.
“I want to encourage you to do more because we have seen changes. In my kingdom, there is no vandalism because we believe that doing so causes more problems for ourselves. Let us support companies coming to work for us,” he stated.
For his part, Dr Morris Alagoa, a frontline environmentalist and Deputy Director of the Environmental Rights Defenders Network, corroborated the fact that PINL’s operations are yielding results, especially in the area of environmental protection, as he said the incidents of pipeline vandalism and oil spills have drastically reduced.
“PINL is really not only protecting the environment from recurring spills but also enabling the nation to produce more crude oil, which translates to more revenue for the country,” he said.
Alagoa added: “It is a source of joy to see PINL taking action, mitigating crises in communities and ensuring these spills no longer occur, which is safeguarding the environment.”
Earlier, Dr Akpos Mezeh, General Manager of Community Relations and Stakeholders Engagement at PINL, disclosed that the firm has recorded zero infractions on the TNP in the past year, attributing this achievement to stakeholder collaboration and strategic engagement by the company.
I’m pleased to inform you that, in line with our core mission of securing the Eastern Corridor pipelines, PINL has recorded almost zero incidents in the past month. This outstanding result demonstrates the strength of our collaboration with host communities and the dedication of our teams on the ground.
“These achievements are rooted in the consistent application of proven strategies—ensuring the safety of our surveillance personnel, timely salary payments, and swift community dispute resolution, all contributing to reduced downtime and increased trust,” he stated.
Dr Mezeh disclosed that the company’s scope of work is now expanding to include all national assets, such as gas pipelines.
He used the media to announce the company’s corporate social responsibility packages for women and youths of the host communities, adding that a committee has already been established to implement a planned scholarship programme for them.
Dr Mezeh further emphasised the company’s commitment to the safety of its workers and the welfare of host communities.
Our correspondents report that representatives from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Defence Headquarters, and the Project Monitoring Office of the NNPCL attended the stakeholders’ meeting.
