Group Defends PINL Over Employment Of 35,000 Youths In Niger Delta

The Niger Delta Progressive Alliance (NDPA) has come out in defense of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), describing the company’s employment of approximately 35,000 Niger Delta youths as a model of successful pipeline surveillance.

The NDPA’s statement is in response to a recent online article that accused PINL of inflating employment numbers and mistreating workers.

According to NDPA President General, Nse Udoh, PINL’s assertion that it has engaged roughly 35,000 Niger Delta youths is supported by multiple confirmations in reputable media outlets, including Vanguard, Guardian Nigeria, and ThisDay.

He noted that the 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.

Udoh  noted that 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.

He said: “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.”

He, however, called on citizens to treat unverified claims with skepticism and to prioritize fact-based criticism.

The group noted that the Niger Delta has long been a theatre of competing narratives and that criticism must be rooted in something sturdier than anger, while  advocating for careful honesty and precision in criticism, rather than allowing loudness to be mistaken for integrity.

He added:  “PINL’s contributions to increased oil output, reduced vandalism, and enhanced fiscal returns for the state and host communities are measurable and significant. PINL is one of the more structured and community-conscious entities operating in the Niger Delta’s surveillance ecosystem, with imperfections that are real but contributions that are measurable and matter.”