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PINL Initiatives, Operational Etiquette Excites Bayelsa Stakeholders
Host Communities of oil and gas firms within the operational catchment area of an oil and gas infrastructure surveillance company, Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Ltd. (PINL), have scored the firm high over its developmental initiatives and programmes.
The stakeholders gave the commendation in joint address presented during a stakeholders engagement meeting held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, by the PINL to assess the performance of the company’s operations in host communities.
Presenting the address on behalf of the communities, Elder T.K. Ogoriba lauded the firm for its giant and uncommon initiatives which has brought development and empowerment to host Communities within its operational catchment area.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the PINL Consultant, Communities Relations, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, stated that the company would soon unveil empowerment schemes for youths.
He stressed that there has been near zero infractions on the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), hemce an increase in crude oil production, which has ultimately increased Nigeria’s revenue.
“Collectively, we have been able to achieve near zero infractions on the pipelines that we have been mandated to secure and the implication is that we are experiencing uninterrupted operations in the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP), and crude oil production from the fields are flowing without interruption.
“Secondly, we used to experience soot. If you dry your clothes, the next day the colors have changed , and, of course, we are all witnesses that the situation has changed for better and that goes to show that our environment is now enjoying some level of restoration.
“Our environmentalist here can confirm that we are making good progress. We have experienced increase in crude oil production and the implication is that we are making oil revenue available for the federal government and that would go a long way to restore confidence of investors in our economy”, he said.
In a presentation on the impact of oil spillage on the environment, the Manager, Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) of PINL, Sunday Otoyo, called on the community stakeholders to dissuade their children and constituents from bursting the pipelines, citing environmental degradation, health challenges and other impacts as consequences.
“Oil spillage possess a significant environmental threat, harming marine life, disrupting ecosystems, and damaging human health and economic activities”, he stated.
In his response, President of Movement For the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), Comrade Tonjo Kennedy West, applauded the company for showing exemplary leadership by opening itself for assessment by community stakeholders, calling on other surveillance companies operating in the Niger Delta to borrow a leaf from PINL and create better working relationship with host communities.
Speaking on behalf of the women, Mrs. Moke Ossai, Women Leader, Igbogene Federated Communities, commended the company for carrying women and youths along in their operations.
In his speech, Community Relations Executive of the firm, Mr. Tarila Alamieyeseigha, said the firm would soon roll out a scholarship scheme for the host communities within its areas of operation.
He commended stakeholders for synergizing with the firm, noting that the company will leverage on the cordial relationship existing between her and the host communities “to ensure enduring peace, tranquility and pipeline vandalism-free operational catchment area”.
This, he explained, is in order to protect the environment from oil and gas related hazards and increase the nation’s oil and gas production for the overall benefit of citizens.
Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.