Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has announced the expansion of its oil and gas surveillance operations to Biseni and other adjoining communities in Bayelsa State, following recommendations from its last stakeholders’ meeting.
The company disclosed that it has extended its security coverage pro bono to include all oil and gas facilities located near the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) in the interest of national development.
The General Manager, Community Relations and Stakeholder Engagement, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, made this known in Yenagoa while addressing stakeholders from TNP host communities in Bayelsa.
Mezeh urged stakeholders to increase vigilance and share real-time intelligence to enhance the protection of critical oil and gas assets in the region.
“We wish to restate that PINL has taken on the responsibility of providing security for all oil and gas assets in close proximity to the TNP pro bono, even though they are not under our current mandate,” he said. “Acting on recommendations from our last meeting, PINL has granted the inclusion of Biseni and other deserving communities in its surveillance engagements.”
He added that recommendations have also been forwarded to relevant authorities for the inclusion of more host communities along the eastern corridor of the TNP.
Highlighting the company’s achievements for the month under review, Mezeh noted that there was no recorded case of pipeline vandalism in Bayelsa or along the TNP, attributing the success to strong collaboration among the company, security agencies, and community stakeholders.
According to him, the sustained peace has resulted in uninterrupted oil and gas production, increased funding for host community development trusts, and improved socioeconomic stability in the area.
Mezeh also announced that data capturing for 2,000 women and girls under the PINL Women Entrepreneurs & Empowerment Initiative had been completed in Abia, Imo, Rivers, and Bayelsa States. The initiative focuses on small business development, financial literacy, and skills acquisition.
“Verification of data is ongoing, and beneficiaries will be contacted shortly,” he added.
On education and youth empowerment, he said the company’s scholarship disbursement for current beneficiaries will begin in November, with new entries from underrepresented communities already added to the list.
Speaking at the meeting, the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, commended PINL for recognizing the importance of host communities and traditional institutions in its operations. He praised the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and commitment to dialogue-driven engagement.
“I thank PINL for bringing us together and urge all of us to support them,” Okaba said. “As INC and IYC, we have agreed to embrace civil engagements instead of violent struggles.”
Similarly, the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Jonathan Lokpobiri, lauded PINL for addressing key environmental and security challenges through collaboration and proactive engagement with security agencies.
“I’m happy to acknowledge that PINL has helped our communities address environmental devastation by working closely with security agencies and other partners who care about the Niger Delta,” he said.
Chairman of Yenagoa Local Government Area, Mr. Bulodisiye Ndiwari, also appreciated PINL for its women and youth empowerment programmes, adding that the area had recorded no oil theft or pipeline vandalism in the last two months.
“We appreciate you for empowering our women and for the scholarship scheme that will soon take off. You are building the capacity of Bayelsans, the Niger Delta, and the Ijaw nation,” Ndiwari said.
Meanwhile, the Project Monitoring Office (PMO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), in a goodwill message, assured PINL of its full support in the ongoing efforts to strengthen stakeholder collaboration and combat pipeline vandalism.
