A traditional ruler in Rivers State, Kevin Anugwo, has commended Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for its pipeline surveillance activities, saying improved security has supported farming and fishing activities in parts of Ekpeye Kingdom.

Anugwo, the Eze Ekpeye Logbo, spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, where he described the challenges residents had experienced from crude oil pollution and its impact on their livelihoods.

“Before you came on board, we were unable to fish in our waters because the crude oil had taken over the place,” he said.

The traditional ruler said the experience had affected fishing and farming in Ekpeye communities over the years, adding that residents had reported improvements in their access to farms and fishing waters.

The meeting formed part of PINL’s regular engagement with communities hosting the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), which transports crude oil from the eastern Niger Delta to the Bonny Terminal for export.

The company operates in Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo and Abia states, with responsibilities covering the TNP and the Eastern Gas Network.

Speaking at the meeting, Akpos Mezeh, PINL’s General Manager, Community and Government Relations, said cooperation between pipeline operators, host communities and other stakeholders was important to improving pipeline security and supporting Nigeria’s oil and gas production objectives.

He said the company maintained regular engagements with traditional rulers, youth groups, community development committees and women leaders across its areas of operation.

Mezeh also said PINL had implemented employment, scholarship and community empowerment programmes as part of its engagement with host communities.

According to him, more than 35,000 youths had been employed in the company’s surveillance operations, while scholarships worth more than N2 billion had been provided to over 1,500 students.

He further stated that more than 2,000 women had benefited from the company’s empowerment initiatives along the Trans Niger Pipeline corridor.

“More than 2,000 women have benefited from our empowerment initiatives along the Trans-Niger Pipeline corridor,” he said.

Mezeh added that PINL organised an annual Christmas programme involving the distribution of food and relief materials, alongside medical outreach activities in the communities.

“This is why pipeline protection cannot be treated as the responsibility of PINL or security agencies alone,” he said, calling for continued cooperation among host communities, government institutions and other stakeholders.

He said regular dialogue was necessary to strengthen relationships, address concerns and sustain efforts to protect critical oil and gas infrastructure.

Nigeria’s oil production ambitions also featured in discussions at the meeting. The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has stated production targets of two million barrels per day by 2027 and three million barrels per day by 2030, alongside a target of 12 billion standard cubic feet of gas daily by 2030.

According to figures attributed to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Nigeria’s average crude oil and condensate production stood at 1.717 million barrels per day in September 2026, with output reaching 1.84 million barrels per day on the peak production day.

These figures underscore the scale of the increase required to meet the country’s stated production ambitions.

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has also reported losses associated with crude oil theft and pipeline sabotage. At an energy correspondents’ conference in 2025, the organisation reportedly said Nigeria lost 13.5 million barrels between 2023 and 2024.

Separately, NUPRC data cited in the discussions indicated a decline in reported national crude oil theft levels from more than 102,000 barrels per day in 2021 to approximately 9,600 barrels per day as of September 2025. The figures relate to pipeline operations nationwide and should not be interpreted as a direct measurement of PINL’s performance in its operational areas.

PINL began work on the eastern corridor in August 2022.

The company has also reported improvements in crude delivery through the Trans Niger Pipeline since the commencement of its surveillance activities. According to PINL, the proportion of crude delivered to the Bonny Terminal increased from about three per cent at the start of its operations to approximately 98 per cent by September 2026.

The figures reflect the company’s account of its operational performance. Independent operational records would be required to establish the precise scale of the change and the factors responsible for it.

At the stakeholders’ meeting, Omojevwhe Akponime, Head of Field Operations, Eastern Corridor, at the NNPC Project Monitoring Office, was reported to have said that daily reviews showed the pipelines within PINL’s operational area were running “green”. Further clarification of the term and the scope of the assessment would help establish the full meaning of the statement.

Participants at the meeting expressed support for continued engagement between PINL and the communities along the pipeline corridor.

Onyekachi Amaonwu, the Eze Eberi-Ugo Omuma, said cooperation between traditional institutions, community leaders and pipeline operators was important because critical oil infrastructure passes through host communities.

He urged monarchs and community representatives to sustain dialogue and work with relevant stakeholders to support pipeline security.

Legborsi Yamaabana, spokesperson for the Niger Delta Ethnic Youth Leaders Forum, also expressed support for continued collaboration with PINL and thanked the Federal Government for renewing the company’s contract.

“As Niger Delta people, we have adopted PINL as our own,” he said.

The discussions also touched on the importance of transparency and accurate information in relations between pipeline operators, host communities and government agencies.

PINL urged stakeholders to avoid relying on unverified figures or allegations and encouraged the use of dialogue and documented information to resolve disagreements.

“What we need is facts, dialogue, transparency and accountability,” Mezeh said.

The company said its community programmes were separate from statutory contributions and other obligations applicable to its operations.

Stakeholders at the meeting called for sustained engagement among the company, host communities and government institutions, with the aim of addressing local concerns and supporting the security of critical oil and gas infrastructure.