…How NNPCL’s grossed N4.36tn with N502bn profit:
·..Say community key lies in community engagement
The federal government may have penciled 2.06 million barrels per day as crude oil production in 2026 budget at an average of $60 per barrel, but those in the fight against crude oil theft have rather targeted 2.5mbpd.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and experts from the pipeline protection groups are meeting in some cities in the oil region to plot how to meet the 2.5mbpd target, with oil resumption in Ogoni a major hope and step.
Community engagement has also been identified as the most potent strategy, especially in the Eastern Corridor where it has been tested. The NNPCL has thus affirmed that the collaboration between host communities of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) and Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has led to Increasing oil production and contributing to greater revenue for the country.
Akponime Omojevwhe, an engineer and head field operations, Eastern Corridor, Project Monitoring Office (PMO NNPCL), stated this during the January stakeholders meeting of host communities organised by Pipeline Infrastructure Limited in Port Harcourt. The meeting is organised monthly by PINL to get feedbacks from stakeholders and community people regarding their operations in the host communities.
Omojevwhe noted that the communities support has also contributed to the sterling performance of the company in securing the TNP. The Navy has already reported huge successes in war against pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft in 2025, siting a big jump in crude oil exploitation.
The PMO head thus urged the communities to sustain the effort in ensuring that the company’s projected 2.5m barrels per day production for the year 2026 is achieved.
“The message I was sent is to appreciate the stakeholders for your collaboration with PINL which has shown significant up-shoot in the oil production and it has yielded in revenue generation.
“I want to emphasized that this year 2026, we must be able to ensure that it is better than 2025 so that our projection can be met as far as oil production is concerned, ” Omojevwhe said.
On his part, Young-Harry Amachree, who represented the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) at the meeting, assured that all sentiments and opinions expressed by the community people shall be adequately addressed.
In his speech, Philip Osaro Obele, king of Eleme Kingdom, commended the company for carrying the communities along in its operations. He particularly noted the recent distribution of Christmas palliatives to the communities and surveillance guards along the TNP.
“There is not much to say and talk about but to commend PINL for what they are doing, for carrying every person along. During the festive period, they distributed gifts, rice, beans and other things to the stakeholders.
“Thank you very much, this will make them feel that you recognize them and the work you have assigned to them to do, ” he said.
Also speaking, Peter Wagbara, a community stakeholder and king of Elele-Alimini Community in Emohua local government area of Rivers State, noted that PINL has operated with a difference as against the divide and rule pattern he alleged other companies used on host communities.
“They are not dividing our people because, most of the conflicts we see in most communities are sponsored by companies, but so far, I have watched the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited, especially in my own domain, there have not been any such thing, ” he stated.
The monarch however, appealed to the company to fast track its women empowerment programmes and scholarship to ensure that all communities benefit.
Speaking on behalf of youths of the area, spokesperson of Niger Delta Ethnic Youth Leaders, Legborsi Yamaabana, pledged the support of youths of the region for the company. He said the company has touched the lives of youths in areas of empowerment and employment, urging the federal government to give more responsibility to the company.
“They are part of us. We have adopted them as individuals of each of our communities across the Niger Delta. We have also adopted them as a special purposed vehicle to bring about peace, development, economic growth and progress.
“Lastly, I want to say that we would continue and sustain the support for this company, and we are appealing further to Mr. President and the government to give this company more responsibility because they are not tired of doing good, “Yamaabana said.
How 2025 fared in fight against crude oil theft:
According to a presentation on how the fight against oil theft fared in 2025 by Akpos Mezeh,
General Manager, Community & Stakeholders Relations of the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), the engagement is defined by dalogue, trust, and collective responsibility for the protection of Nigeria’s critical energy infrastructure.
He said engaging with the communities has proved to be a successful strategy because 2025 has proved that when communities are included, respected, and empowered, the results speak for themselves.
NNPCL’s N4.36tn turnover and N502bn profit:
PINL said: “The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited recorded a profit after tax of ₦502bn in November 2025, following increased gas output, full pipeline availability, and others.
Figures from the NNPC Monthly Financial and Operations Report for November 2025, released on Wednesday, showed that the national oil company generated ₦4.36tn in revenue during the month, reflecting a marginal increase compared with October.
The improved performance was attributed to stronger gas output, full pipeline availability, and steady domestic fuel supply, which helped offset challenges in crude oil production.
This tells us one clear story:
every barrel protected matter, and every community that safeguards hydrocarbon infrastructure contributes directly to national development.
While revenues remain strong, there is need to sustain same. Hence, pipeline security is not optional, it is existential.
The company said NNPCL’s performance was not by accident saying the stability is the direct result of: Incident-free operations along the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP); Community-led intelligence and surveillance; and Sustained collaboration between PINL, host communities, and security agencies.
“NNPC Ltd is intensifying collaboration with partners through year-end and into 2026 to improve production performance, maximise infrastructure uptime, and maintain high facility maintenance standards across all assets.”
He said PINL and our host communities remain central to achieving this objective which yielded zero illegal bunkering incidents in December 2025, operational stability sustained across the Eastern Corridor, community intelligence support that significantly improved, and the Town Crier Initiative (TCI) popularly that has strengthened early warning systems and grassroots ownership of pipeline protection.
He listed human-centred interventions in 2025 such as over 2,000 women fully captured under the Women Empowerment Programme with disbursement to commence upon completion of account verification with Premium Trust Bank; scholarship disbursements to also commence immediately after beneficiary account verification; end-of-year palliative distribution and medical outreach reached; and over 250 host communities and more than 3,000 medical beneficiaries across Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo, and Abia States.
He reeled out other endless lists of interventions to host communities and reviewed general feedbacks from stakeholders. “The feedback from communities affirmed that trust, fairness, and professionalism remain our strongest social license.”
Some 2026 priorities:
He listed numerous areas of intervention such as aligning with the efforts of the Federal Government toward meeting the 2.5m bpd production target in 2026.
He also mentioned sustaining zero infractions along the TNP corridor; mediating in conflicts in Ogoniland and other oil producing communities with a view to resuming production; expanding women and youth empowerment programmes; deepening community intelligence and participation; strengthening collaboration with NNPCL, ONSA, and security agencies
Advocating for improved Government presence and infrastructural development in the oil and gas communities, etc.
He said the story of the Trans Niger Pipeline is changing and the communities are the author of that change. “What we protect together today determines what Nigeria earns tomorrow. Let us continue to choose dialogue over disruption, cooperation over conflict and shared prosperity over short-term gain.”
