The United Niger Delta Congress (UNDC) has urged the federal government to extend the pipeline surveillance contract of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), citing reported improvements in crude oil delivery, infrastructure protection and employment across the Niger Delta. The group said the company’s reported performance, alongside investments in host communities, justified retaining the existing arrangement to sustain oil production gains and protect jobs in the region.
The call followed a report by the technical subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Host Communities, which investigated a petition against PINL and Osahon Okunbo, its managing director. According to the UNDC, the subcommittee found the allegations against the company and its leadership unsubstantiated and recommended that the petition be dismissed, further investigation discontinued and PINL’s contract extended.
In a note, the group said continuity in pipeline surveillance would help consolidate reported gains in crude oil production, protect petroleum infrastructure and strengthen confidence among businesses operating in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. It highlighted an increase in crude oil deliveries through the Trans Niger Pipeline to the Bonny Terminal, from three percent when PINL commenced operations in August 2022 to 98 percent by September 2026.
It also said Oil Mining Lease 11, which had been shut in for 18 months, resumed operations within 90 days of PINL’s engagement. The group noted that the company had facilitated the remediation of 2,049 illegal pipeline connections and the destruction of 1,010 illegal refinery clusters, while conducting surveillance across 215 host communities.
Beyond infrastructure protection, the UNDC said PINL had employed more than 35,600 surveillance guards drawn from Niger Delta communities, providing incomes for residents and creating alternatives to illegal oil-related activities. It said the company operated 28 forward bases, 130 boats, 175 vehicles and 25 drones to support surveillance across the region’s waterways and creeks.