The House of Representatives panel on petroleum resources has lauded President Tinubu, the management of National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited and contractor Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) citing gains in crude recovery and improved pipeline security in the Niger Delta.
The Committee also recommended that the federal government extend PINL’s pipeline-surveillance contract after dismissing allegations of financial mismanagement and improper conduct against the company and its managing director, Osahon Okunbor, as unsubstantiated.
Host Communities Committee Chairman Dumnamene Dekor announced the resolution Tuesday after lawmakers adopted a subcommittee report on a petition filed against PINL by the Niger Delta Oil-Producing Communities Reform Movement.
The report, he said, will now go to the full House for consideration and adoption.
The decision comes as the country seeks to raise crude output amid persistent oil theft, pipeline vandalism and underused assets.
The committee cited company data showing that the share of crude reaching the Bonny Terminal through the Trans Niger Pipeline rose from 3% in May 2022 to 98% in September 2026.
The petition, dated September 5, accused PINL of improper contract implementation, mismanagement of funds, neglect of surveillance personnel and personal spending linked to the Managing Director.
The committee also asked for a forensic review of the company’s finances.
The subcommittee said the petitioners failed to appear after three invitations, issued on September 14, September 22 and October 5.
They neither sent representatives nor submitted documents to support their claims, Dekor said.
PINL appeared before the panel and submitted a written report, “The Impact of PINL Operations on Oil Production and Stability of the Niger Delta,” along with geotagged photographs.
The subcommittee concluded that the allegations were not substantiated and recommended that the petition be dismissed.
The report highlighted operational gains attributed to pipeline protection.
It said Oil Mining Lease 11, shut down for 18 months, resumed operations within 90 days of PINL’s engagement.
PINL reported that it remediated 2,049 illegal connections and destroyed 1,010 illegal refining clusters.
The company said its operations, which began in August 2022, cover 215 host communities and involve more than 35,600 surveillance guards.
The operation is supported by 28 forward bases, 130 boats, 175 vehicles, 25 drones and 454 personnel from government security agencies.
The subcommittee said these measures helped improve the stability of oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta.
Beyond security, the report cited community-development work by PINL, including more than 5,000 scholarships and skills training for more than 4,000 women and girls.
The company also provided flood relief to more than 10 communities in Rivers State.
The committee commended NNPC’s management for creating an enabling environment for pipeline-security operations.
It urged PINL to continue engaging host communities and to pay attention to the welfare of its surveillance personnel.
The lawmakers’ endorsement comes as the nation continues to pursue higher crude production.
Figures attributed to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) put crude output at about 1.50 million barrels a day in August 2026, while production including condensates was about 1.68 million barrels a day, the committee stated.
Average production reportedly rose from 1.388 million barrels a day in the first quarter of 2026 to 1.525 million barrels a day in the second quarter.
Even so, output remained below the government’s 2026 budget benchmark of 1.84 million barrels a day.
The shortfall underscores the difficulty of meeting budget targets and strengthening government revenue and foreign-exchange earnings.
The committee said extending PINL’s contract would help sustain the operational performance and community programs it credited with improving crude flows.
