The Niger Delta Progressives Alliance (NDPA) has lauded the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for its regular interface with host communities along its operational route.
PINL is the surveillance firm responsible for the protection of oil and gas facilities in the Eastern Corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP)
The firm holds monthly stakeholders’ meetings to harvest inputs of host communities in its operational areas of Rivers, Abia, Imo, and Bayelsa States.
At a world press conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, hosted by the Niger Delta Progressive Alliance, the group said the engagement by PINL has created community ownership of the projects, urging other security firms, particularly Tantita Security Services Limited, to borrow a leaf and allow the people of their operational areas to have a voice in their operations.
President-General of the NDPA, Nse Victor Udoh, while speaking at the conference, said the group came out with the commendation after a rigorous assessment of communities in the Niger Delta.
He said: “After an assessment of the surveillance contract, NDPA concluded that PINL should be commended on its efforts at regular community engagement, while Tantita has to begin to do so in Warri, where it covers”.
The group emphasized that the surveillance contract should encourage healthy competition amongst the contractors and not rivalry.
“NDPA publicly recognises Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, PINL, for practices that aligned with this model of community engagement and empowerment.
“Public reporting shows and we have seen in our region that this same approach has been associated with improved security outcomes. PINL has moved with conviction.
“PINL approved 646 scholarships for youths across 215 host-communities along the Trans-Niger Pipeline corridor in Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Abia States.
“For each of those 215 communities, PINL committed to three scholarship slots per community,” Udoh said.
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The group added that PINL has formed strategic partnerships with the office of the national security adviser to establish investigative and prosecutorial facilities, reinforcing both community safety and infrastructure protection.
On community engagement forums, NDPA stated that PINL convenes host-community stakeholders’ monthly meetings to review operations, to solicit local input, and to align surveillance efforts with local well-being.
While commending the company, the group urged it to scale up, make its monitoring and community investments visible, accountable, and replicable, saying the strategy should be a template for how sustained empowerment can happen in the Niger Delta.
NDPA challenged Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited to marry its operations with community development.
Specifically, NDPA urged Tantita to institute consistent monthly community engagement sessions in Warri and surrounding host communities, with published minutes and clear action items.
The group noted that with the scale of job being handled by Tantita, its operations can effect meaningful changes in the region if it chooses to align its operational footprint with structured community investment.
To other surveillance and security firms operating in the Niger Delta region, the NDPA recommended the community‐empowerment model, urging them to embed their operations in local developments such as the provision of social amenities, scholarships, jobs, and monthly community engagement.
The group emphasized that the companies must work collaboratively, not just for their contracts alone, but for the community and shared future of the Niger Delta.
