The President of the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, Doubra Okotete, has urged President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to replace oil and gas pipelines that have been in use for more than 60 years.
Okotete said replacing ageing pipelines was necessary to reduce environmental risks, protect host communities and sustain oil and gas production in the Niger Delta.
He made the call at the October 2026 Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum, organised by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, according to a statement issued by the company on Monday.
“Our appeal today is for the Federal Government, the NNPC Ltd. and the President of our great country to ensure that oil and gas pipelines that have lasted for over 60 years are replaced,” he said.
The IYC president also commended pipeline surveillance contractors, saying there had been no reports of fatalities since the company took over the contract.
He described the development as a departure from the past, when such operations were, in his words, “plagued by fatalism”.
“The surveillance operations have helped secure oil and gas infrastructure while ensuring that host communities benefit from the resources flowing through the facilities they protect,” Okotete said.
The forum brought together traditional rulers, youth leaders, environmental advocates, community representatives and other stakeholders to discuss pipeline security, environmental protection and community participation in oil and gas operations.
At the meeting, the King of Ekpetiama Kingdom, King Bubaraye Dakolo Agada IV, also called on oil companies and relevant authorities to address environmental risks associated with ageing pipelines, abandoned wellheads and gas flaring.
The monarch urged residents to discourage pipeline vandalism and other activities that could cause oil spills, while stressing that operators and relevant authorities must also take responsibility for preventing spills linked to deteriorating infrastructure.
He called on PINL to draw the attention of relevant authorities and oil industry operators to the dangers posed by ageing facilities and press for preventive action.
Meanwhile, the General Manager, Community and Stakeholders Relations at PINL, Dr Akpos Mezeh, said the company had recorded two consecutive months without pipeline vandalism in its operational areas in the Niger Delta.
Mezeh attributed the development to collaboration among host communities, security agencies, surveillance personnel and industry operators, urging stakeholders to sustain the cooperation.
He said the company’s surveillance operations had provided employment for more than 35,000 youths, while its scholarship programme had awarded over ₦2bn to more than 1,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Other stakeholders at the forum also called for sustained cooperation between host communities and pipeline surveillance operators to protect critical infrastructure and support Nigeria’s oil and gas production targets.