By Dormene Mbea
Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has announced plans to mediate between the Federal Government and stakeholders in Ogoniland, Rivers State, in a bid to facilitate the smooth resumption of oil exploration activities in the area.
The disclosure was made during the first edition of the Stakeholders’ Forum of Oil Pipeline Host Communities in Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo and Abia states, held on Thursday, January 22, 2026, in Port Harcourt. The forum was convened by PINL, the firm responsible for protecting oil pipelines and installations along the Eastern Corridor.
Speaking at the meeting, PINL’s General Manager, Community and Stakeholders Relations, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, said the company was committed to supporting the Federal Government’s crude oil production target of 2.5 million barrels per day in 2026.
He stressed that proactive mediation and conflict resolution in sensitive areas of the Niger Delta, particularly Ogoniland, were critical to achieving that goal.
“Ogoniland is key, and we are committed this year to strengthening engagement with communities there to enable the resumption of crude oil production,” Mezeh said.
He added that renewed commitments had been secured from host communities to prevent infractions on oil facilities, particularly the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP).
The proposed resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland has continued to generate sharp divisions among residents.
While some Ogoni groups insist that polluted sites must be fully remediated and late environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and others executed in 1995 be formally exonerated before oil activities resume, other stakeholders view the move as an opportunity to stimulate economic growth and boost employment.
At the forum, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) underscored the importance of community collaboration in improving operational efficiency and national revenue.
Head of Field Operations, Eastern Corridor, Project Monitoring Office (PMO), Akponime Omojevwhe, said partnership with host communities along the TNP had significantly enhanced pipeline security and production performance.
He revealed that NNPCL recorded a profit after tax of ₦502 billion in November 2025, generating ₦4.36 trillion in revenue during the month.
According to him, the improved performance was driven by stronger gas output, full pipeline availability and steady domestic fuel supply.
“Every barrel protected matters, and every community that safeguards hydrocarbon infrastructure contributes directly to national development,” Omojevwhe stated, adding that pipeline security was “not optional, but existential.”
Traditional rulers at the event commended PINL’s engagement model. The King of Eleme Kingdom, Dr. Philip Osaro Obele, praised the company’s inclusive approach and its distribution of Christmas palliatives to communities and surveillance personnel.
Similarly, the King of Elele-Alimini in Emohua Local Government Area, Eze Peter Wagbara, lauded PINL for avoiding what he described as the “divide-and-rule” tactics often associated with some oil majors.
However, he urged the company to expand women empowerment initiatives and scholarship schemes to ensure broader community benefits.
In his remarks, the Paramount Ruler of Bodo in Gokana LGA, John Berebom, attributed recent peace in previously restive areas to PINL’s intervention.
He noted that unrest in Bodo had once contributed to the declaration of a state of emergency but said tensions subsided following sustained engagement by the company.
Berebom appealed for expanded benefits to nearby communities without pipelines, warning that exclusion could create fresh security threats to oil infrastructure. He also called on NNPCL to increase support to enable PINL to deepen its stabilisation efforts. As debates over oil resumption in Ogoniland continue, PINL’s proposed mediation signals a fresh attempt to bridge longstanding divides between the Federal Government and host communities, with national production targets and regional stability hanging in the balance.
