The 8th edition of the Nigeria International Pipeline Technology and Security Conference NIPITECS 2024 an event organized by the Pipeline Professionals Association of Nigeria (PLAN), kicked off on Thursday 21, 2024 at the Abuja Continental Hotel. Abuja with the theme: Pipeline – Critical Assets for National Development and Environment Sustainability.

This event was fully represented by the crème de la crème of Nigeria’s energy, Industrial, and Academic sectors among whom are Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas); Mallam Mele Kyari, GCEO of NNPC Limited represented by Mr. Folorunsho Kareem, MD of NPSC, Engr. Dr. Emeka Okwuosa, CON represented by Engr. Cheta Okwuosa of Oilserv Group, Amb. Nicholas Agbo Ella, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Mshebila Philip MD, NLNG, Engr. Geoff Onuoha President of PLAN, Engr. Wole Ogunsanya Chairman, PETAN, and other key stakeholders.

Declaring the conference open, the Chairman Sub-Committee/Program Director, Engr. Vincent Onuegbu Izionwaru in his welcome address, underscored the essential roles pipelines play in a country’s economic development, especially in the equitable distribution of petroleum and its associated products to points of usage.

Further, in his speech Dr. Vincent outlined some significant challenges debilitating the smooth operations of this critical infrastructure which he centered on a lack of technological innovations and proactive security measures.

“As the backbone of energy distribution, pipelines connect resources to markets and underpin the development of communities, fueling progress and prosperity. However, with their importance came significant challenges – technology innovations, security concerns, and the need for sustainable practices that align with environmental stewardship,” Engr. Dr. Vincent Izionwaru posited.

In the same vein the Chairman of Pipeline Professionals Association of Nigeria (PLAN) Engr. Geoff Onuoha in his opening remarks craved the indulgence of the participants for a one-minute silence in recognition of the sudden demise of the Anchor person in charge of the event Mr. Sunny Oputa who couldn’t make it to see this year’s event.

Engr. Onuoha described the departure of the Late Mr. Sunny Oputa as a devastating blow to the organization owing to his long contribution and outstanding performance towards previous successful events while calling on the Lord for the repose of his soul and to grant his immediate family, friends, and colleagues the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.

Coming to the business of the day, Engr. Onuoha took time to dwell on the progressive updates of pipeline construction, concentration, and network across the globe and their corresponding economic impact on people’s lives. 

With an emphasis on Nigeria, he stated that the country had made recent progress in the area of pipeline construction as its resultant economic development and quality of live index have moved from 0.52 where at his last year’s presentation to 0.54

“So there is a correlation between how many assets you have, how you set from for irrigation, electricity, and economic development, and improving the quality of life of the people. Nigeria is now spending a lot on pipelines, we have invested a lot, so I am hoping as we continue to do this the quality of life of people will improve,’ Engr. Onuoha stated.

“So pipelines are critical infrastructure, essential and now the federal government have recognized that and have set up a panel that is looking at critical infrastructure, and pipeline network is one of them. This is the relationship between pipeline and energy, energy and growth, growth and quality of life, and economic development, ” He added.

He further underscored the importance of pipeline infrastructure and its role in the economic sustainability of the federal government’s Decade of Gas Initiative. He traced these roles right from the point of exploitation of the gas and subsequent transportation in situ pipelines to the end of its liquefaction facilities for conversion to CNG.

” You cannot talk about the Decade of Gas without talking about pipelines infrastructure and how important they are, that is why the GCEO and Minister recognize that fact and how important this infrastructure is to our economic development.

“Pipeline is a very intensive asset, AKK is about 2.8 billion dollars, OB3 is about $1.2 billion and these are very complex infrastructures when talking about engineering and everything they take time to build; West African Pipeline took about 10 years to build. They are out of sight, nobody sees them, and nobody recognizes them until something happens to them, ” Engr, Onuoha posited.

The PLAN Chairman also took time to highlight progressive updates of various ongoing and anticipated future gas pipeline projects. These projects include the AKK pipeline project which is expected to be concluded next year and the Nigeria- Gulf of Guinea pipeline project which links Nigeria to Equatorial Guinea which is still in the developmental stage.

“ A lot has been in the news about pipelines, there are a lot of anticipations about completion of the AKK corridor which is expected to open power supply, petrochemical, and energy and that is being anticipated for completion next year. The OB3 pipeline project has been going on for a while, situated at the eastern corridor, takes gas which is abundant on the east side to the west and down to the north so it can power the whole country, ” He stated.

According to Engr. Onuoha, other gas pipeline projects expected to be executed within the course of time are the African Atlantic gas pipeline which is an extension of the West African Gas Pipeline, Trans Saharan Gas Pipeline linking Nigeria, Libya, and Algeria.

Engr. Geoff Onuoha rounded up his presentation with a disclosure that the present Federal Government is making plans for comprehensive maintenance and repairs of the national pipelines having reached the longevity of 50 years since the time of construction.

He attributed the cost of venturing into such a project as enormous and called for all-encompassing to join hands and resources towards the rehabilitation of these critical infrastructures owing to their economic importance to the nation.