PINL Engages Community Stakeholders in Yenagoa, Honours INC President Okaba
Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL)—the renowned pipeline surveillance company safeguarding the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP)—has once again achieved a milestone by recording zero infraction in the past month, PulseNets learnt. The development has been credited with boosting Nigeria’s crude oil production output.
The disclosure came on Friday during the August stakeholders’ meeting convened by PINL in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital. Speaking at the forum, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, Community Relations Consultant of the firm, told PulseNets that:
“The Federal Government met its 2025 oil and gas sector revenue due to peace and stability in the communities hosting oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta.”
Mezeh reported that the achievement highlights the strength of PINL’s collaboration with the Federal Government in safeguarding critical oil facilities across the Niger Delta, particularly in the eastern corridor where the Trans Niger Pipeline remains vital to national energy security. According to him, the company’s success stems from its tested approaches—safety measures for field surveillance teams, prompt salary payments, and rapid community dispute resolution, among other strategies.
While appraising the security situation in the past month, Mezeh revealed that there was an attempted breach along TNP–Bodo in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, but the perpetrators were quickly apprehended. He credited the swift response to strong community resistance backed by the Office of the National Security Adviser. He further spoke to PulseNets about another major discovery in Umuebele, Oyibo LGA, Rivers State, where illegal refinery infrastructure was uncovered by surveillance guards working closely with the newly inaugurated Special Prosecution Taskforce. Suspects were arrested, while the site was confiscated for necessary government action.
Emphasizing PINL’s commitment to Nigeria’s local content policy, Mezeh noted that all Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes are guided by thorough NEEDS assessments, ensuring that community welfare is prioritized. He told PulseNets that the company’s scholarship programme is already in motion, with application forms distributed through contractors to community leaders.
“Communities are encouraged to return completed forms promptly while hoping that they will prioritize bright but financially disadvantaged students when nominating beneficiaries. After which our team will verify the academic credentials before disbursement,” Mezeh stated.
On women empowerment, he disclosed that preparations for the third-quarter women training programme are ongoing.
“The curriculum framework has been developed and arrangements are in the final stages,” he explained, adding that strong community participation will be key when the initiative is launched in the fourth quarter.
Earlier, the PINL consultant commended stakeholders and traditional leaders for their continued partnership with the company in securing vital oil assets. He reaffirmed that PINL will sustain platforms such as the monthly stakeholders’ meeting to promote dialogue and strengthen cooperation in the eastern corridor. He assured PulseNets that PINL remains firmly aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that:
“We have a shared responsibility to rescue our economy from further bleeding, and achieving this goal requires that all hands remain on deck.”
Also Read: FG Probes $500m PINL, Local Content Loans, Projects
The meeting drew participation from top Bayelsa traditional rulers, chiefs, elders, women, and youth leaders, who praised PINL for its professionalism and impactful initiatives in their domains. In a lighter moment, the company used the occasion to celebrate Prof. Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), on his new age.
Prof. Okaba, in his response, spoke to PulseNets, thanking the company for the honour and for carrying the Ijaw people along in its initiatives.
