By: Felix Ikpotor
A group, the Niger Delta Progressives Alliance (NDPA) has defended claims by the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), that if has created over 35,000 jobs for youths through surveillance in the Niger Delta region.
PINL is the surveillance firm responsible for protection of oil and gas pipelines in the Eastern Corridor spanning Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia and Imo States.
The group came out with the defence in response to a report circulating on social media wherein they accused PINL of inflating the employment figures and also alleging that the firm was struggling to survive.
But NDPA in a statement signed by it’s President-General, Amb Nse Victor Udoh and its Delta State Coordinator, Felix Ejenavi, said the report was unfounded and fictitious without any verifiable claim of its source.
The group insisted that verifiable records showed that the company has engaged such number of persons spanning from surveillance personnel, vendors, contractors, administrative officers and others.
”PINL’s assertion that it has engaged roughly 35,000 Niger Delta youths has multiple confirmations in reputable media such as Vanguard, Guardian Nigeria, and ThisDay. These figures align with documented surveillance contracts under the NNPC and represent cumulative employment spanning technicians, local suppliers, clerical staff, and others who form the support backbone of daily operations. The figure represents men and women who have found dignity in work in a region where unemployment once bred resentment, ” the group said.
Reacting to claims in the viral post alleging mass dismissals in February 2025 by PINL amd seized vessels, NDPA said there is no official evidence or complaint to that effect.
”No evidence, no official complaints, no maritime records, no verifiable names accompany these statements. We found them to be isolated distortions of routine operational adjustments. Those who question PINL’s sincerity overlook the transparent structures that govern its operations. Payments are verifiable, partnerships documented, collaborations traceable. The truth remains that PINL has honored its commitments with consistency and fairness, ” it added.
On the performance of the company, NDPA stated that PINL has redefinded the practice of surveillance operations through the engagement of community stakeholders which has led to increase in oil output.
It said: “PINL’s work represents a quiet but notable shift in how surveillance operations are run. The company has established a model that values local intelligence, trust, and collaboration over force or intimidation. The outcome is visible: crude oil losses dropped to a 16-year low, uninterrupted operations on the Eastern Corridor, and gas production hit 7.59 billion standard cubic feet per day in July 2025.
” In a region where unemployment once turned restlessness into militancy, this model gives structure, income, and participation. It’s a practical expression of peacebuilding, done not in conferences or headlines, but in the mud and mangrove where the pipelines run. “
While commending the operations of PINL in the Niger Delta, the group insists that criticism without verifiable claims should be avoided considering the volatile nature of the region.
