By Tracy Moses
The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) has signalled a tougher oversight regime for Nigeria’s midstream petroleum sector, pledging closer scrutiny of operators and regulators while announcing plans for a follow-up investigation of Greenville Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Company Limited.
The committee also commended Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for its contributions to pipeline security and the protection of critical oil and gas infrastructure, describing the company’s performance as instrumental to sustaining stability in the industry.
The resolutions emerged from a series of legislative retreats held in Port Harcourt and Lagos, where lawmakers reviewed developments in the sector, assessed implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), and considered measures aimed at strengthening legislative oversight.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Odianosen Okojie, said the engagements reflected a deliberate shift from conventional oversight methods towards direct interaction with facilities and stakeholders across the petroleum value chain.
According to him, lawmakers must go beyond official briefings and reports if they are to effectively discharge their constitutional responsibilities.
“Recently, we did something that I believe should become standard practice for every legislative committee in Nigeria: we went to see for ourselves.
“We did not wait for briefing notes and ministerial reports. We travelled directly from the airport to Greenville LNG and to Indorama Petrochemicals Ltd, and we saw with our own eyes the scale, the complexity, and the realities of midstream operations in this country,” Okojie said.
As part of the oversight exercise, members of the committee visited Greenville LNG in Rumuji, Rivers State, and Indorama Petrochemicals Limited, where they inspected facilities and engaged management teams on operational, regulatory and investment-related issues.
Following deliberations at the retreat, the committee resolved to undertake a follow-up visit to Greenville LNG after reviewing additional documents requested from the company.
Okojie said the committee intends to further assess the company’s operations and compliance framework before reaching final conclusions.
“The Committee has resolved to conduct a follow-up visit to the Greenville facility upon receipt and satisfactory review of certain documents that the Committee has formally requested of the company.
“We expect Greenville’s full cooperation, and we look forward to deepening our engagement with a company that is doing genuinely pioneering work in Nigeria’s domestic gas distribution landscape,” he stated.
The committee, however, expressed satisfaction with the level of engagement received from Indorama Petrochemicals Limited, passing a formal vote of confidence in the company.
“Following our visit to Indorama Petrochemicals Ltd, this Committee passed a formal vote of confidence in the company, a recognition of Indorama’s significant contribution to Nigeria’s petrochemical and industrial value chain, and of the professionalism and transparency with which its management engaged with our oversight process,” Okojie said.
Beyond facility inspections, discussions during the retreats focused on the strategic importance of the midstream petroleum sector to Nigeria’s energy future.
Industry experts who addressed the lawmakers described the segment as the critical link between hydrocarbon production and end users, noting that it remains central to the country’s aspirations for energy security, industrial growth and economic diversification.
“The midstream petroleum sector is the indispensable bridge of the oil and gas value chain. It connects production at the wellhead to the markets, homes and industries that depend on energy,” a presentation delivered during the retreat stated.
Participants identified infrastructure deficits, pipeline vandalism, security concerns, regulatory disputes, tariff challenges and slow domestic gas penetration as some of the major issues limiting the sector’s full potential.
The committee also reserved special commendation for Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL), acknowledging the company’s role in safeguarding strategic national assets and supporting operational stability across oil and gas corridors.
Okojie said PINL had distinguished itself through professionalism and commitment to national service.
“PINL has in the past few years done remarkably in construction, maintenance and security services in the oil and gas sector. The Committee is very proud of what PINL has been able to do for the industry. They have been very professional and patriotic in the execution of their mandate,” he said.
According to the lawmaker, the company’s activities have contributed significantly to maintaining steady crude oil production while also creating economic opportunities for host communities.
“PINL is largely responsible for the protection and maintenance of oil and gas facilities over the years and this has helped to keep crude oil production steady and stable.
“Not only has PINL helped in rendering surveillance and security services, but they have also provided jobs to our teeming youths in the Niger Delta region and other areas of its jurisdiction. In all its corridors, the company has done well in providing cutting-edge technology services to the nation. As a Committee, we are proud of PINL achievements and we encourage them to keep this momentum,” he added.
A recurring theme throughout the retreat was the need to ensure that legislative oversight produces tangible outcomes for Nigerians rather than remaining a procedural exercise.
Okojie stressed that the effectiveness of oversight should be measured by improvements in energy access, affordability and infrastructure integrity.
“Our theme, ‘Oversight in Action,’ was not chosen for its elegance. It was chosen because oversight that exists only on paper changes nothing.
“The Nigerian people do not feel the words of our resolutions. They feel the price of cooking gas in their kitchens, the reliability of power in their homes, the integrity of the pipelines that cross their communities, and the vitality of the industries that employ their children,” he said.
The committee chairman assured stakeholders that while lawmakers would continue to encourage investment and innovation in the sector, regulators and operators would also be held to the highest standards of accountability.
“We will hold our regulatory authorities to the highest standards of transparency and accountability, and we will demand the same of every operator in this industry. Where there is excellence, we will commend it. Where there is failure, we will confront it without apology,” he stated.
In a communiqué issued at the conclusion of the Port Harcourt retreat, the committee reaffirmed its commitment to translating the outcomes of the engagements into concrete legislative actions.
“The findings and commitments of this retreat will be translated directly into concrete legislative instruments, oversight hearings, and binding directives,” the communiqué stated.
The House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) was established following the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, which restructured Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and created a dedicated regulatory framework for the midstream and downstream segments.
Industry observers regard the midstream sector as pivotal to Nigeria’s Decade of Gas initiative and broader economic diversification agenda. With the committee now adopting a more hands-on oversight approach, operators and regulators are expected to face increased legislative scrutiny in the months ahead.
