Stakeholders Renew Pledge To Protect Pipelines

Stakeholders in Rivers and Bayelsa states have renewed their commitment to protecting oil and gas pipelines, maintaining peaceful relations with operators and addressing environmental risks associated with ageing infrastructure in the Niger Delta.

The commitment was made at the October 2026 Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum organised by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The forum brought together traditional rulers, youth leaders, environmental advocates, community representatives and industry stakeholders to discuss pipeline security, environmental protection and the role of host communities in sustaining oil and gas production.

Speaking at the meetings, PINL’s general manager, Community and Stakeholders Relations, Dr Akpos Mezeh said the company had recorded two consecutive months without pipeline vandalism within its operational areas in the Niger Delta.

He attributed the development to collaboration among host communities, security agencies, surveillance personnel and industry operators, urging stakeholders to sustain the cooperation to protect critical national infrastructure.

Mezeh said peaceful communities and trust among industry operators, government and host communities remained essential to sustainable oil production and regional development.

He added that communities along the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and Eastern Gas Network (EGN) would play an important role in helping Nigeria achieve its oil and gas production targets for 2027 and 2030.

Citing NNPC Limited’s audited financial results for 2025, he said the national oil company recorded a profit after tax of ₦7.2 trillion, representing a 33 per cent increase from ₦5.4 trillion in 2024.

He also said crude oil and condensate production averaged 1.77 million barrels per day in 2025, the highest in five years, while natural gas production averaged 7.2 billion standard cubic feet per day, its highest level in three years.

According to him, PINL’s surveillance operations had provided employment for more than 35,000 youths, while its scholarship programme had awarded over ₦2 billion to more than 1,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Mezeh called for continued engagement with host communities, stressing that protecting pipelines required the involvement of residents and other stakeholders along the facilities.

At the forum, head of Field Operations, Eastern Corridor, at the NNPC Project Monitoring Office, Engr. Omojevwhe Akponime, expressed support for PINL’s operations.

Akponime said NNPC’s daily reviews indicated that pipelines within the company’s area of coverage were performing well, citing observations from a recent management session.

Similarly, the Eze Eberi-Ugo IX of Omuma Kingdom, Onyekachi Amaonwu said achieving national oil production targets depended on the cooperation of communities where pipelines were located.

He urged traditional rulers and community leaders to support efforts to protect the facilities, noting that pipeline security could not be achieved without grassroots participation.

The Eze Ekpeye-Logbo, Kelvin Anugwo, said reduced crude oil theft along the corridor had helped communities resume farming and fishing activities that had previously been disrupted by oil pollution.

Anugwo recalled that oil spills had damaged local rivers and restricted fishing, affecting livelihoods in the area.

The spokesperson for the Niger Delta Ethnic Youth Leaders Forum, Legborsi Yamaabana, also commended the Federal Government for renewing PINL’s contract, saying the company had received support from sections of the region.