PINL empowers 1,000 Bayelsa women with N250m

Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), an oil and gas surveillance firm, has empowered 1,000 women drawn from its communities in Bayelsa State with N250 million.

PINL presented the women with dummy cheques of N250,000 each to boost their businesses at its May monthly stakeholders meeting held on Thursday in Yenagoa.

The presentation was the fulfillment of the firm’s pledge to empower women from its host communities and follows the award of scholarships to 650 students in April.

Earlier, Akpos Mezeh, general manager, community relations and stakeholders management, PINL, reminded stakeholders that unity, collaboration, and collective responsibility remained the “strongest instruments for protecting our communities, safeguarding national assets, and building sustainable prosperity.”

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Mezeh noted that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited recorded profit after tax of about N276 billion in March, while the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission said Nigeria met 99.2 per cent of its 1.5mbpd quota in April.

According to him, the 1.5mbpd represented an increase of 7.58 per cent compared to March production figure, saying April saw a peak production of 1.85mbpd and the lowest production of 1.46mbpd.

“These figures are not ordinary statistics. 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 over conflict and dialogue over disruption,” Mezeh stated.

On the issue of crude oil production in Ogoni land, he stressed the need for inclusive community participation, environmental sustainability and continuous cleanup efforts, economic inclusion and transparency, community-based security frameworks, and sustainable development partnerships.

Mezeh said that PINL is committed to strengthening community-based pipeline protection systems, expanding stakeholder engagement mechanisms, supporting youth empowerment and skill acquisition programmes and enhancing women empowerment initiatives.

He said the firm is also committed to investing in education through scholarship schemes, improving grievance management and conflict resolution systems and supporting environmental sustainability and rapid response initiatives.

While reporting zero infractions in its area of operation, Mezeh said, “Together, we can achieve zero infractions on critical assets, increased oil and gas production, safer communities, greater youth opportunities and sustainable national development.”

He told beneficiaries of the women empowerment programme that the money was for business and not “big wrapper or big shoes.”

Responding, a beneficiary from Oporoma community, thanked PINL for the kind gesture, saying it would help them to take care of their families.

PINL is tasked with securing the Trans Niger Pipeline, Eastern Gas Network and all other hydrocarbon infrastructures located in the Eastern Corridor.