By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa

Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has called for stronger collaboration with host communities, stressing that active community participation is central to safeguarding the nation’s oil and gas assets in the Niger Delta.

Speaking at the company’s March Stakeholders’ Engagement Meeting in Yenagoa, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, PINL’s General Manager for Community Relations and Stakeholders Engagement, said the company’s success in protecting critical infrastructure—including the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and Eastern Gas Network (EGN)—depends on local partnerships.

“At PINL, we hold firmly to one guiding principle: community partnership is national security. When communities protect infrastructure, they protect livelihoods, national revenue, and the future of our country,” Mezeh stated. He noted that improved cooperation has already led to a significant reduction in oil theft and vandalism across operational corridors.

To strengthen ties, PINL has begun scholarship disbursements for students from host communities and is finalizing a new round of women’s empowerment programmes.

Mezeh reiterated the company’s zero-tolerance stance on sabotage or negligence, emphasizing that contractors and personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of safety and responsibility.

Community leaders praised PINL’s proactive engagement strategy. Alabo Nengi James, Vice President 2 of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), commended the company’s empowerment initiatives and pledged continued support for pipeline protection.

King Bubaraye Dakolo, Chairman of the Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers, noted that PINL’s community-focused approach has been instrumental in reducing vandalism, while calling for greater Federal Government backing.

Comrade Efere Azibantor, Secretary-General of the Central Zone of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, lauded the company’s skill acquisition and scholarship programmes, highlighting their role in fostering self-reliance among local youths.