A former university lecturer, Dr. Youpele Banigo, has called for a more equitable distribution of oil and gas pipeline surveillance contracts to avert what he described as a looming conflict in the Niger Delta.
Dr. Banigo argued that the current pipeline surveillance arrangement is markedly imbalanced and risks fostering deep resentment and disillusionment among oil-producing communities directly affected by exploration activities.
The scholar, who served as a member of the Presidential Technical Committee on the Niger Delta, recalled that the Committee’s 2008 report strongly advocated meaningful community participation in safeguarding critical national oil assets.
He noted that this recommendation was conceived not only as a security strategy but also as a deliberate tool for engagement, ownership, and a genuine sense of belonging for communities that bear the environmental and social costs of oil production.
“Our vision at the time was for broad, inclusive participation by all producing communities,” he said.
According to him, the report also anticipated the need to build capacity among local stakeholders, acknowledging that while this could initially pose a challenge, it could be addressed through a structured and inclusive framework.
Dr. Banigo therefore urged relevant stakeholders to propose a model that would guarantee every producing community a fair opportunity to participate in pipeline surveillance activities.
He maintained that the most pragmatic step now would be to unbundle the current arrangement and restructure it in a way that ensures equitable and participatory involvement across oil-producing areas.
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