Former Niger Delta agitators have pledged to support efforts to protect oil and gas pipelines and maintain peace in host communities along the Eastern Corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline.
The commitment was made at Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited’s (PINL) August stakeholders’ meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Jacob Braveman, chairman of the First Phase Ex-Agitators Forum, said the group would continue working with PINL to protect pipelines and other critical oil and gas facilities within its area of operation.
Braveman said PINL’s engagement with host communities had helped reduce pipeline vandalism and tensions in the region.
He added that former agitators could use their knowledge of the creeks and waterways to assist surveillance and security efforts around oil and gas infrastructure.
Braveman said stronger cooperation among stakeholders would help Nigeria increase crude oil production and improve its chances of meeting or exceeding its OPEC quota.
Bubaraye Dakolo, chairman of the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council and Ibenanowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, also commended PINL for its community engagement, outreach initiatives and scholarship programmes.
Dakolo said the company’s efforts had contributed to better relations with host communities and promoted stability in the Niger Delta.
He, however, cautioned against third-party involvement in the management and protection of oil pipelines, urging PINL to remain focused on working directly with host communities and stakeholders.
Akpos Mezeh, PINL’s general manager, community and stakeholder relations, said operations on the Trans Niger Pipeline and Eastern Gas Network had remained largely uninterrupted in recent months.
He attributed the stability to cooperation between security agencies, contractors and host communities.
Mezeh said the success of major energy infrastructure depended on secure pipelines, peaceful communities and effective cooperation among stakeholders.
He also noted that the proposed African Atlantic Gas Pipeline would require similar cooperation and stability. The project is expected to transport about 30 billion cubic metres of gas annually from Nigeria to Morocco.
According to Mezeh, the project received further institutional backing after ECOWAS leaders signed an intergovernmental agreement at a summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Robert Igali, director-general of the Bayelsa State Centre for Youth Development, also praised PINL’s community-focused approach.
Akponime Omojevwhe, representing the Project Monitoring Office of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, said the absence of reported vandalism and other infractions during the period under review showed the importance of cooperation between PINL and its stakeholders.
He said continued collaboration would be critical to increasing Nigeria’s oil and gas production and supporting economic growth.
