Every so often, a piece of writing arrives that spreads faster than the truth it claims to protect. A recent article circulating online accuses Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) of misleading the public by inflating employment numbers, mistreating workers, and surviving only by the grace of others.
The text, though forceful in tone, sounds convincing until you ask where it came from. It then vanishes like mist as it has no known author, no credible outlet, no provenance and no verifiable evidence. As stakeholders committed to truth and development in the region, we must not allow unsubstantiated rhetoric to replace the discipline of fact.
On the Weight of Evidence
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. Compare that to the counterclaim of fewer than 5,000 workers: no traceable source, zero corroboration, no data, no photographs. It’s the difference between daylight and echo.
On Building Security through Inclusion
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.
On the Missing Proof of Wrongdoing
It is easy to accuse; much harder to build. The viral post makes dramatic claims: mass dismissals in February 2025, seized vessels, a company “barely surviving.” Yet 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.
On the Measure of Contribution
To defend is one thing; to celebrate what is done well is another. PINL has contributed to increased oil output, reduced vandalism, and enhanced fiscal returns for the state and host communities. That’s not an abstract achievement; it’s measurable in the quieter nights along the creeks, in restored investor confidence, and in wages earned by young men and women who might otherwise have drifted toward despair. Gas production hit 7.59 billion standard cubic feet in July 2025, while crude oil losses dropped to a 16-year low. No company is beyond scrutiny, least of all one operating in a region as delicate as this. But scrutiny must be disciplined. It must seek improvement, not destruction.
A Call to Truth and Responsibility
The Niger Delta has long been a theatre of competing narratives. Criticism is healthy, but it must be rooted in something sturdier than anger. The region does not need more suspicion dressed as courage; it needs careful honesty because truth still matters. Otherwise, we turn the public square into a marketplace of distortion, and the people who lose most are the very communities these arguments claim to defend. We are defenders of reason and advocates of accountability. We call on citizens to treat unverified claims with skepticism. Let our criticisms be as precise as our hopes. Let us not confuse loudness with integrity.
In Closing
In an age of instant outrage, truth has become a slower traveller. Yet it endures. What we see in PINL’s case is a model of community-engaged surveillance, of environmental restoration, and of empowerment. By the evidence before us, PINL stands as one of the more structured and community-conscious entities operating in the Niger Delta’s surveillance ecosystem. Its imperfections are real, but its contributions are measurable and that distinction matters. Let the rumours fade as they always do. What will remain are the results: fewer ruptures, more employment, and the fragile but growing possibility of peace.
Issued by:
Niger Delta Progressive Alliance (NDPA)
Amb Nse Victor Udoh, President General
Felix Ejenavi (General Beni), Delta State Coordinator