Over 2,000 women and girls across 215 host communities along the Eastern Corridor of the Trans-Niger Pipeline are set to benefit from a new enterprise and financial literacy programme launched by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).
The initiative, known as the PINL Women Entrepreneurs and Empowerment Programme, aims to train participants in business development, financial planning, and income-generating skills to promote sustainable livelihoods.
Announcing the programme during PINL’s monthly stakeholders meeting with host communities from Rivers, Imo, and Abia States in Port Harcourt, the company’s General Manager, Community Relations and Stakeholders Engagement, Dr. Akpos Mezeh, said the project was developed in response to feedback received from previous community engagements.
Meanwhile, traditional rulers at the meeting cautioned that pipeline safety could be at risk if the Federal Government continues to neglect the welfare of host communities.
The Paramount Ruler of Emohua, Sergeant Awuse, noted that despite increased oil output attributed to PINL’s operations, living conditions in the host communities have seen little improvement.
In his remarks, Legborsi Yamaabana, spokesperson of the Coalition of Niger Delta Ethnic Youth Leaders, commended PINL’s people-centered approach and urged the government to grant the company greater responsibility in pipeline protection and community development.
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