The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) has announced plans to strengthen legislative oversight of Nigeria's midstream oil and gas industry. The committee's position followed separate retreats held in Port Harcourt and Lagos, where lawmakers reviewed developments in the industry, assessed challenges affecting operations, and explored ways to enhance parliamentary oversight under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
The sector under the committee's supervision includes gas processing facilities, transportation networks, storage infrastructure, terminals, pipelines, and wholesale distribution systems.
Lawmakers would adopt a more practical approach to oversight by engaging directly with industry operators rather than relying solely on official reports and presentations, said Odianosen Okojie, the committee chairman.
Odianosen Okojie is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Edo state and has been the chairman of the committee since 2021.
As part of the exercise, members of the committee visited facilities operated by Greenville Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Company Limited in Rumuji and Indorama Petrochemicals Limited in Rivers State before participating in deliberations on regulation, compliance, and industry performance.
The committee also praised Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) for its contribution to protecting oil and gas infrastructure and supporting operations across the petroleum value chain.
Odianosen Okojie described PINL as commendable and urged it to sustain its efforts in supporting the industry.
The midstream petroleum sector serves as the link between crude oil and gas production and final consumption by industries, businesses, and households.
Experts who addressed the lawmakers identified several obstacles hindering the sector's growth, including inadequate infrastructure, security threats to pipelines and facilities, regulatory disagreements, tariff concerns, vandalism, and slow progress in domestic gas utilisation.
The committee has resolved to undertake another inspection of Greenville LNG after reviewing documents requested from the company. This would enable lawmakers to further assess the company's operational processes and compliance obligations before reaching conclusions on its activities.
Lawmakers praised Greenville LNG as one of the companies contributing to the expansion of domestic gas distribution and expressed confidence that management would cooperate fully with the committee's ongoing review.
The House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Midstream) is one of the committees established following the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021.
The committee had endorsed the performance of Indorama Petrochemicals Limited, passing a vote of confidence in the company following its engagement with lawmakers during the oversight exercise.
Odianosen Okojie said the decision reflected the company's role in supporting Nigeria's petrochemical industry and its openness during interactions with the committee.
The committee described legislative oversight as necessary for identifying organisations demonstrating high standards of professionalism, transparency, and operational excellence.