Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited has awarded scholarships to 600 students from host communities in Bayelsa State, while Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has urged sustained collaboration between communities and the surveillance firm to secure critical oil infrastructure.
The announcements were made during a stakeholders’ meeting organised by PINL, where discussions also touched on calls in some quarters for the decentralisation of pipeline surveillance contracts, a position that appeared to receive little support at the gathering.
PINL is responsible for securing the Eastern Corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline and the Eastern Gas Network.
Speaking at the meeting, Akponime Omojevwe, Head of Field Operations, Eastern Corridor, Project Monitoring Office of NNPCL, commended the relationship between the company and host communities, describing it as strong and productive.
He urged stakeholders to sustain the cooperation, noting that the level of unity and support from community leaders has contributed to improved pipeline security. He also called for a complete halt to pipeline vandalism and illegal bunkering activities.
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At the event, PINL’s General Manager for Community and Stakeholder Relations, Akpos Mezeh, announced the scholarship awards, which cover both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Beneficiaries are to receive between N500,000 and N1,000,000 each.
Mezeh said the initiative reflects the company’s commitment to education and human capital development in its host communities. He added that disbursement for women empowerment and youth skill acquisition programmes has also commenced.
Beneficiaries welcomed the support, noting that it would ease financial pressure and improve their academic focus.
A civil engineering student at Niger Delta University, Canus Samuel, said the scholarship would allow him to concentrate on his studies and work towards academic excellence.
Another beneficiary, a postgraduate student at the same institution, described the grant as a timely intervention that would enhance performance, especially for students with limited financial resources.
He also pledged continued community support for pipeline protection, stressing the importance of maintaining a secure environment for oil and gas operations.
The initiative highlights the role of corporate-community partnerships in safeguarding national assets while promoting education and development in oil-producing regions.
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