FG mulls reopening of Trans-Niger pipeline

The federal government says it is set to reopen the Trans-Niger Pipeline (TNP), a major pipeline that transports about 180,000 barrels of crude oil per day. 

Bala Wunti, group general manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS), made this known in a series of tweets at the weekend. 

NAPIMS is a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.

He said the export facility has been closed for over six months.

Wunti said his team visited the people of the Bodo Community in Gokana LGA of Rivers state, which was part of efforts to reopen the TNP.

“Our visit today is of monumental significance as it provided us the opportunity to re-connect with the good people of Bodo Community,” he said. 

“This visit is part of our continuous journey to re-strengthen our trust with one of the communities where NAPIMS and its partners are conducting business.”

He said it was also a demonstration of NNPC’s strong commitment to its core value — integrity, excellence, and sustainability.

Wunti said, “NAPIMS can achieve this because of the commendable support and commitment of the leadership of NNPCL under GCEO Malam MKKyari and our amiable Upstream GED Adokiye Tamboiemeye”.

“Under our current leadership, NNPC businesses has continued to focus on trust and strengthening partnerships with our communities, operating partners, states and relevant stakeholders as well as focus on ESG in our operations,” he said.

“Our presence today is part of NAPIMS efforts towards re-opening the nation’s major liquid hydrocarbon delivery atrium – the Trans Niger Pipeline, a critical infrastructure in the crude oil export, which has been under force majeure (closed) for over six months.”

He said the NAPIMS leadership delegation, under its general manager, joint venture operations, Zakariya Budawara, had spent the last week with the Bodo community. 

During their stay, he said the delegation gathered a deeper understanding of the challenges of the community members of Bodo.

“As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, NNPCL under the leadership of the Group CEO – Mallam Mele Kyari has continued to work with its host communities towards improving the quality of lives, creating business, employment and capacity development amongst others,” Wunti said. 

The pipeline has been moribund since mid-June due to vandalism and theft on the oil export facility, stalling the transportation of 180,000 bpd of crude via the channel.

The pipeline, according to Shell, its operator, is part of the gas liquids evacuation infrastructure, crucial for continued domestic power generation and liquefied gas exports.