The Pipeline Professionals Association of Nigeria (PLAN) has called for stronger policies, improved funding, skills development and deeper host community partnerships to safeguard and expand Nigeria’s pipeline infrastructure.
The President of PLAN, Ms. Ngozi Adeleke, made the call in a communiqué issued on Friday in Abuja, following resolutions reached at the 9th Nigeria International Pipeline Technology and Security Conference (NIPITECS) organised by the association.
PLAN warned that persistent regulatory gaps and manpower shortages were constraining the growth and sustainability of pipeline infrastructure in the country, despite its critical role in Nigeria’s oil and gas development.
The conference, themed “Building Robust Pipeline Systems for the Decade of Gas and Beyond,” brought together industry stakeholders to address pipeline infrastructure development, security, technology adoption and investment opportunities.
According to the association, NIPITECS was designed to position Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa as attractive destinations for pipeline and technology investments by linking domestic opportunities to the global market.
Adeleke said delegates agreed that pipelines remain critical national assets and should be prioritised under Nigeria’s energy development agenda.
She stressed that funding for pipeline projects should be embedded in capital funding frameworks to enhance project delivery and infrastructure expansion.
While noting that a pipeline development roadmap already exists, the association resolved that the framework should be re-engineered to reflect future needs, with clear strategies for effective implementation.
PLAN also emphasised the need to address skill gaps in the pipeline sub-sector through structured technical training, retraining and capacity-building programmes, in collaboration with regulatory agencies, professional bodies and industry stakeholders.
The association further called for the development of a reliable, centralised indigenous database for pipeline installations and operations across the country to improve planning, monitoring and maintenance.
Adeleke said tertiary institutions and research centres should be more actively involved in emerging pipeline technologies, adding that pipeline engineering, management and innovation should be incorporated into higher education curricula to strengthen local expertise.
She also underscored the importance of collaboration among engineers, policymakers, academics, operators and communities to accelerate pipeline infrastructure development through shared knowledge and technology leverage.
On security, PLAN called for long-term partnerships with host communities from project conception through operations, noting that trust-building was essential for peaceful coexistence and infrastructure protection.
The association urged the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), to formally designate pipelines as critical national assets and to partner with PLAN on funding, planning and capacity-building initiatives.
Other recommendations included the development of a national pipeline engineering curriculum by the Nigerian Universities Commission, closer involvement of research institutions in pipeline innovation, and the establishment of a multi-stakeholder committee to re-engineer Nigeria’s pipeline roadmap.
Adeleke said PLAN reaffirmed its commitment to working with government, regulators, industry players and host communities to strengthen Nigeria’s pipeline infrastructure in line with the country’s “Decade of Gas” aspirations.