Reps Committee vows stricter oversight of petroleum midstream sector

The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) has assured Nigerians of more aggressive oversight of operators and regulators in the petroleum sector, saying the era of relying solely on reports and presentations to assess performance is over.

The committee chairman, Odianosen Okojie, gave the assurance at a two-phase retreat and oversight engagement held in Port Harcourt and Lagos, where lawmakers reviewed challenges in the midstream petroleum sector and adopted measures aimed at strengthening parliamentary supervision under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Okojie said lawmakers would henceforth engage directly with facilities and stakeholders to better understand operational realities and ensure improved energy security, domestic gas utilisation and accountability.

> “We did not wait for briefing notes and ministerial reports. We travelled directly… and we saw with our own eyes the scale, the complexity, and the realities of midstream operations,” he said.

According to him, the committee carried out oversight visits to Greenville LNG Company Limited in Rumuji and Indorama Petrochemicals Limited in Rivers State before holding strategic sessions on regulation and sector performance.

He disclosed that the committee would undertake a follow-up assessment of Greenville LNG after reviewing requested documents, while noting that the company had been commended for its role in domestic gas distribution.

Okojie also announced a formal vote of confidence in Indorama Petrochemicals Limited, describing its engagement with lawmakers as transparent and professional.

At the Lagos retreat, stakeholders highlighted the strategic importance of the midstream sector as a critical link between hydrocarbon production and domestic consumption.

The committee further commended Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for its role in pipeline security and maintenance, as well as job creation in the Niger Delta, while stressing the need for sustained investment in surveillance and infrastructure protection.

Okojie said oversight would no longer be measured by the number of hearings conducted, but by the real impact of legislative actions on citizens.

> “The Nigerian people do not feel the words of our resolutions. They feel the price of cooking gas, the reliability of power, and the integrity of pipelines,” he said.

He added that the committee would continue to hold regulators and operators accountable while supporting policies that encourage investment and sector growth.

In its communiqué, the committee pledged to translate findings from the retreat into legislative instruments, oversight hearings and binding directives, while urging collaboration among regulators, investors, host communities and civil society to strengthen the industry.