Ijaw elders hail petroleum minister, NNPCL new boss for curbing oil theft

… But call for inclusive development

Ijaw elders say oil theft has reduced drastically, given the credit to the Ministry of Petroleum and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

The revelation was made by Timi Ogoriba, the national chairman of the elders council, Movement for the Survival of the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) at a forum in Bayelsa State.

Ogoriba hailed what MOSIEND called visionary reforms led by Heineken Lokpobiri, a fellow Ijaw who is the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), and the NNPCL management under Bayo Ojulari. He described their leadership as instrumental in restoring order, efficiency, and accountability to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

He spoke when the host communities along the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) corridor in Bayelsa State held a forum with oil pipeline protection firm where he praised the partnership between the NNPCL and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for restoring security and curbing oil theft in the region.

Ogoriba noted that the collaboration between NNPCL and PINL has not only reduced oil theft and pipeline vandalism along the eastern corridor to near-zero levels, but has also rekindled investor confidence and unlocked new opportunities for the region.

“We give special recognition to PINL for its professionalism and community-focused approach to pipeline protection. Their proactive engagement with host communities has directly contributed to increased crude output — a result that speaks volumes,” Ogoriba said.

The communities reaffirmed their support for PINL and NNPCL, pledging to maintain strategic partnerships that safeguard national assets while promoting peace and economic inclusion. They also urged the federal government to complement security efforts with policies that address the socio-economic and environmental factors driving sabotage and illegal bunkering.

Akpos Mezeh, General Manager, Community and Stakeholders Relations at PINL, emphasized that regular dialogue with communities remains central to PINL’s strategy. “The near-zero infractions we’ve seen on the TNP are the result of this partnership. Together, we are protecting vital national resources and boosting revenue generation for the country,” he said.

Mezeh acknowledged challenges, including local leadership disputes and insider collaboration with vandals, but highlighted the company’s efforts to address these — from youth recruitment as surveillance guards to peace-building and leadership support in host communities.

Other leaders echoed the call for unity and vigilance. Benjamin Tamaranebi, National President of Oil and Gas Host Communities (HOSTCOM), urged communities to protect oil infrastructure to ensure sustained national development. “PINL is doing very well. Let’s work with them to protect our shared resources,” he said.

Don Ben, National Youth Leader of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), appealed to youths to respect traditional authorities as custodians of peace, and praised the continued engagement between PINL and host communities.

The meeting closed with a renewed commitment from all sides to deepen collaboration, uphold peace, and ensure the security of Nigeria’s critical energy infrastructure.

Nigeria now surges back to hit 2mbpd in crude oil as envisaged by the 2025 budget. This is expected to come from zero attacks on pipelines. This target is being made possible by deploying firms to protect pipelines. PINL has adopted dialogue and carrot approach to pipeline host communities to endeavour to achieve its objective, while also using the cane where necessary.