The company says Nigeria’s more than $20bn gas investment pipeline could accelerate industrial growth if critical infrastructure remains secure
Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited has issued a fresh warning that pipeline vandalism and sabotage could undermine Nigeria’s emerging gas investment boom, urging host communities and security agencies to strengthen the protection of critical energy infrastructure.
Also read: Gas tanker bursts into flames in Lagos, responders prevent tragedy
The warning was delivered by Dr Akpos Mezeh, General Manager of Community and Stakeholders Relations at PINL, during the company’s stakeholders’ engagement forum in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Saturday, August 8, 2026, following the announcement that NNPC Limited had secured more than $20 billion in gas sale and purchase agreements over the past year.
The agreements cover 1.29 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day for long-term liquefied natural gas feed gas and a further 750 million standard cubic feet per day for domestic industrial gas supply to DFL FZE and Dangote Refinery.
NNPC Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari disclosed the agreements at the 25th NOG Energy Week in Abuja in July, saying the transactions represented more than $20 billion in associated investments.
For PINL, the scale of those commitments offers a potentially significant opportunity for Nigeria’s gas economy.
Mezeh said the investments could support industrial expansion, employment, energy security and wider economic development, provided the infrastructure needed to deliver the gas remains reliable.
“These projects will stimulate industrial growth, improve energy security, create employment opportunities and support Nigeria’s long-term economic development,” Mezeh said.
The warning comes as Nigeria’s gas infrastructure continues to advance, with several major projects approaching completion.
NNPC’s April performance report placed the Obiafu-Obrikom-Oben Gas Pipeline at 96 per cent completion and the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline at 94 per cent at that stage.
More recent industry reporting has put OB3 at about 97 per cent, although completion figures vary with the reporting period.
The OB3 pipeline is particularly important because it is designed to connect Nigeria’s eastern and western gas networks and extend connectivity towards the northern corridor through the AKK system.
NNPC says the 2 billion standard cubic feet per day pipeline could unlock more than 500 million standard cubic feet of additional domestic gas supply following completion of its River Niger crossing.
The River Niger crossing, completed in April, marked a major milestone for the 130-kilometre OB3 project. The crossing was carried out about two kilometres beneath the riverbed using horizontal directional drilling technology. (The Guardian Nigeria)
The AKK project is similarly central to efforts to expand the country’s gas network, particularly by extending supplies towards Abuja and northern Nigeria.
NNPC’s monthly reporting has consistently placed the project at around 93 to 94 per cent completion during 2026.
Mezeh said the commissioning of the ANOH Gas Processing Plant had also strengthened the domestic gas infrastructure landscape, creating additional capacity to support Nigeria’s industrial and power sectors.
Yet the value of new gas contracts and infrastructure depends heavily on the integrity of the networks connecting producers with consumers.
“For us at PINL, this project carries a very important message: world-class energy infrastructure can only thrive where pipelines are secure, communities are peaceful, and stakeholders work together,” Mezeh said.
His appeal was directed particularly at traditional rulers, community leaders, youths and women in areas hosting pipelines.
He argued that local residents were often best placed to identify unusual activity around pipeline corridors and could therefore play an important role in preventing attacks before they occur.
“Pipeline security remains a shared responsibility,” he stressed.
Mezeh said operations along the Trans Niger Pipeline and Eastern Gas Network corridor had remained largely uninterrupted during the previous month because of cooperation among security agencies, contractors and host communities.
He acknowledged, however, that incidents involving attempted vandalism, sabotage and equipment failures had still occurred in some operational areas.
According to him, prompt responses had enabled affected facilities to be repaired, while some suspects had been arrested and investigations were continuing.
The emphasis on infrastructure security reflects a longstanding challenge for Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. Pipeline attacks, crude theft and operational disruptions have historically reduced production, damaged equipment and increased the cost of moving hydrocarbons from producing areas to processing and export facilities.
The stakes are arguably higher as Nigeria seeks to shift greater attention towards gas.
NNPC reported gas production of about 7.5 billion standard cubic feet per day in July, with recent increases supported by infrastructure developments including the River Niger crossing and ANOH plant.
The company has also presented gas as an important part of its strategy to attract investment and support industrialisation while reducing the constraints created by inadequate infrastructure.
For host communities, Mezeh said the benefits should extend beyond pipelines and processing facilities to jobs, skills development, entrepreneurship and improved access to energy.
He urged young people in communities along the infrastructure corridors to take advantage of opportunities created by the expanding energy sector instead of participating in activities that could damage facilities and undermine future investment.
PINL said it would continue its youth and women empowerment programmes, skills acquisition initiatives, entrepreneurship support and scholarship schemes across its host communities.
The company also announced that its scholarship programme, launched as a maiden intervention, had been approved as an annual programme for students from host communities for the duration of its contract with the Federal Government.
Mezeh said the decision reflected the importance of education and youth development in building stronger relationships between energy operators and the communities in which they work.
PINL also announced that its stakeholders’ engagement forum would now be held every two months.
The revised frequency is intended to give stakeholders more time to implement and monitor decisions reached at previous meetings.
The approach places community engagement alongside physical security as part of the effort to protect Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.
For operators, sustained dialogue can help address local concerns before they develop into disputes, while communities can benefit from clearer channels for raising grievances and identifying opportunities.
The wider investment picture gives the issue added urgency.
NNPC’s recent gas agreements cover substantial volumes for both LNG and domestic industrial use, including supplies linked to Dangote Refinery and DFL FZE. NNPC has described the associated investment commitments as a major step towards unlocking Nigeria’s gas potential.
But contracts alone cannot deliver that potential. Gas must be produced, processed and transported through infrastructure capable of operating safely and consistently.
That is why PINL’s appeal comes at a crucial point in Nigeria’s energy transition.
With major pipelines nearing completion and billions of dollars in gas-related investment commitments taking shape, the protection of existing and emerging infrastructure could determine whether the current momentum becomes sustained economic growth.
“Let us continue to reject pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft and all forms of sabotage, while working together to build peaceful communities, attract investment, create jobs and strengthen Nigeria’s economy,” Mezeh said.
For PINL, the message is ultimately one of shared responsibility.
Also read: ECOWAS backs major $25bn African gas pipeline
The emerging gas economy can create opportunities for investors, industries and host communities, but those gains will remain vulnerable unless the infrastructure connecting them is protected.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
