One of the foremost pipeline protection companies in the oil region, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), has unveiled one of its greatest strategic approaches to win support for pipeline protection.
The strategy is to view pipeline host communities as critical stakeholders that need to buy into the project instead of siding with pipeline vandals and oil thieves.
The plan to win the support of the host communities seems to have grown so big that PINL engaged Learn & Leadwise Resources Limited as consultants to focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes to communities.
Now, PINL has identified over 200 such communities to be engaged so that all parties would see pipeline assets as theirs. PINL, through their CSR consultants, thus lined up items such as bags of rice, bags of beans, and bags of garri as well as biscuits for children. On December 16, 2024, these went to 35 communities across five local council areas of Bonny, Gokana, Andoni, Eleme, and Tai. The states under focus are Rivers, Bayelsa, Imo, and Abia.
Flagging off the CSR campaigns in Port Harcourt on behalf of PINL, Deborah Okunbo, CEO of Learn & Leadwise Resources Limited, supported by Akpos Meze, Community Relations Consultant of PINL, said the unveiling is part of a bouquet of events planned for the communities in the phase of the CSR initiatives.
She mentioned other packages such as employment that have created thousands of employments for youths in the various host communities.
She also talked of constant interaction with paramount rulers, chiefs, community development committee (CDC ) chairmen, youths and women leaders on strategies to win the battle against pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft and illegal refining (Kpo fire). The company also embarked on the biometrics capturing of community leaders for updating.
She said PINL has now become a good corporate citizen of the pipeline communities, coming in handy at times of disasters to provide succour and comfort to affected host communities such as flooding.
She said the strategy has yielded results shown by the drastic reduction in the frequency of pipeline infractions and other nefarious activities of crude oil theft and Kpo fire across its various host communities.
She stated: “Our goal is ‘Not Just CSR, but a determination to give the communities a sense of ownership of the pipelines in order to end infractions on the pipelines, further increase daily production and ultimately improve the economy for the benefit of the entire country and citizens.”
She said over the next nine months, the consultants to PINL in collaboration with the company, would be carrying out different types of outreach programmes as part of the bouquet of the CSR engagements.
Also on the card is a plan to also conduct medical outreaches in the communities. Skills Acquisition training programmes have also been integrated as part of the CSR programme, she stated.
“A select number of individuals from the various communities will be trained on modern techniques of livestock farming, especially, piggery and the cultivation of cash crops.
There will also be awards of scholarships, technical training and training in the provision of services such as make-up artistry, and hairdressing.
“The trainings are to be certified by the issuance of Trade Test certificates from the Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment, which confers on them capacity to work within and outside the country as entrepreneurs & skilled workers.”
She said the scheme was arrived at with deep involvement of the host communities about their needs.
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