PINL Credits Rising Nigerian Oil and Gas Output to Community Cooperation by Surveillance Firms

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

The recent rise in oil production and overall progress in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector has been credited to the collaborative efforts of communities, surveillance firms, traditional leaders, security agencies, and other stakeholders.

Dr. Akpos Mezeh, General Manager of Community Relations and Stakeholders Management at Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), highlighted this during a monthly stakeholders meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

During the meeting, Dr. Mezeh stressed the importance of partnership and dialogue over conflict and disruption.

He spoke while presenting cheques to more than 1,000 women as part of PINL’s initiatives to enhance women empowerment, invest in education through scholarship schemes, and improve grievance management and conflict resolution systems.

Dr. Mezeh noted that recent reports from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) indicated significant advancements in the sector, with a profit after tax of approximately N276 billion in March 2026 alone.

The reports also showed an increase in national crude oil production and gas production.

Furthermore, Dr. Mezeh shared that Nigeria met 99.2 percent of its 1.5 mbpd OPEC quota of crude oil in May 2026, representing a 7.58 percent increase compared to March.

He emphasized that stability, cooperation, and the protection of pipeline infrastructure yield tangible economic benefits for the nation.

He added, “Another report from NUPRC on 12 May 2026 highlights that Nigeria met 99.2% of its 1.5 mbpd OPEC quota of crude oil. The figure also represents a 7.58 percent increase when compared to the month of March.”

“The peak production in April was 1.85 mbpd while the lowest production for the month was 1.46 mbpd. These figures are not ordinary statistics,” he said.

“They are direct evidence that stability, cooperation, and effective protection of pipeline infrastructure produce measurable economic benefits for our nation and our people.”

“Behind every increase in production lies the sacrifice and cooperation of communities, surveillance teams, traditional rulers, security agencies, and other stakeholders who have chosen partnership.”

“At PINL, we strongly believe that host communities are not outsiders in the oil and gas industry; they are critical partners in progress.”

“When communities are empowered, respected, and included, they naturally become defenders of national assets.”

“We are proud to state that our collective efforts have continued to yield positive results across operational corridors. Incidents of pipeline vandalism have reduced significantly, intelligence gathering has improved, and stakeholder engagement has become more productive and inclusive, with zero infractions recorded in the last month on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP). These achievements are possible because of the synergy between PINL, community leaders, stakeholders, surveillance personnel, and security agencies.”

Some beneficiaries, including Anderson Timinipere and Favour Tarimotimi, praised PINL for its initiatives, saying they will go a long way to alleviate their community’s sufferings.