As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), the Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) has Kickstarted the process of empowering 2000 women from communities along the Eastern Corridor of the Trans Niger Pipeline (TNP).
The women from the 215 host communities on the TNP covering Rivers, Bayelsa, Abia and Imo States are to be given business support to boost their small scale businesses.
The initiative which is under the PINL Women Employment and Empowerment Scheme is done in partnership with Premium Trust Bank.
Dr. Akpos Mezeh, General Manager, Community Relations and Stakeholdsrs Engagement of PINL, who spoke in Port Harcourt during the data capturing exercise for Rivers, Abia and Imo beneficiaries, said the initiative is aimed at appreciating the women for their support in combating pipeline vandalism in their communities.
He explained that four women from each of the 215 communities would benefit from the business support initiative including mentorship to sustain their businesses, adding that it would run alongside the skills training programme and scholarship for youths.
“Today is a day set aside by the company to say thank you to the women. The women play a critical role in the fight against pipeline vandalism because our operations are intelligence driven. The women have supported us in different ways by providing viable information with which we use to wage this war against crude theft.
“The women are from the host communities where we have our operations. From every community we are giving business support grants to four women totaling 215 communities. This is to complement the scholarship program and the skill acquisition program that is going on simultaneously,” Mezeh added.
The PINL official said the grant which will be paid directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries will be an annual CSR with professionals already engaged to strictly monitor the progress of beneficiaries including giving them financial literacy training.
A beneficiary, Francisca Nkechi Okanma from Okohia in Abia State expressed hope that the empowerment would help them in boosting their businesses and assisting their families.
“We have submitted our BVN, account number. Last month we were here for NIN. We came back for verification to be sure that the details we submitted are ours. So we have submitted everything and we’re waiting for them to empower us so that we can make use of the money and help our husbands to train our children, ” she said.
Also speaking, Bridget Nnadiwe from Mmabele Autonomous Community Ahead East, Rivers State, said if the money is given to her, she would rent a shop to expand her trade.
“If they give me the money, I’ll leave my kiosk and rent a shop and buy more goods,” she said.
For Esther Step, from Norkpo Community in Tai in Tai LGA of Rivers State, the information about the empowerment was relayed to them through their community chief, adding that four of them were selected by the community to benefit from the scheme.
According to Dr. Mezeh more women from the 215 communities would also benefit from the programme, which has been planned to run annually.
He urged beneficiaries to judiciously manage the funds to boost their various businesses and improve their standard of living.
He restated the commitment of PINL to positively impact of the host communities of its operations thereby encouraging them to stay away from oil theft and pipeline vandalism.
