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No fewer than 2,000 women from host communities situated along the Eastern Corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP) are set to benefit from a major entrepreneurial and financial literacy empowerment initiative organized by Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL).
The programme, designed to uplift women and girls across 215 host communities, spans Rivers, Imo, Abia, and Bayelsa States. This was revealed by Akpos Mezeh, the company’s General Manager for Community Relations and Stakeholders Engagement, during the monthly stakeholders’ meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to Mezeh, the initiative—known as the PINL Women Entrepreneurs and Empowerment Initiative—aims to enhance small business development, improve financial literacy, and provide hands-on vocational and entrepreneurial skills training for women and young girls.
He explained that the data capturing phase has already been completed for host communities in Abia, Imo, and Rivers States through sessions in Port Harcourt, and for Bayelsa communities through a similar exercise in Yenagoa. Verification of the collected data is currently in progress, after which selected beneficiaries will be contacted.
“The programme targets empowering at least 2,000 women before the end of this year through the PINL Women’s Skills Development and Enterprise Programme,” Mezeh stated. In addition to women’s empowerment, Mezeh disclosed that the company’s scholarship scheme for youths is in its final processing stage, with beneficiaries expected to receive their disbursements by October. He also mentioned that new participants from previously underrepresented communities have been added to ensure inclusivity.
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On environmental and social impact efforts, PINL is working collaboratively with relevant government agencies and environmental experts to conduct joint assessments. These efforts are focused on identifying key areas that require environmental remediation and prioritizing community-focused social investments. Responding to recommendations from the previous stakeholders’ meeting, Mezeh announced that Biseni in Bayelsa State and other deserving communities have now been included in PINL’s surveillance and engagement programmes, ensuring broader representation and participation across the TNP corridor.
