FG Plots Coordinates for Disputed, Newly Drilled Oil, Gas Wells

James Emejo in Abuja

Chairman, Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Shehu, said the federal government had commenced the plotting of coordinates of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells.

Shehu stated that an Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) earlier inaugurated to verify and plot the coordinates of the disputed and newly drilled assets in affected oil producing states had successfully verified the coordinates.

Addressing journalists during the flag-off ceremony in Abuja, the RMAFC chairman said the next phase of the task was to plot assets’ coordinates, which should “lead to resolving the location of the disputed oil and gas wells as well as attribute the newly drilled oil and gas wells to the rightful owners”.

The IATC consisted of National Boundary Commission (NBC), Office of the Surveyor General of Federation (OSGoF), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and RMAFC.

Shehu said the exercise aimed to ensure that oil-producing states received their rightful share of revenue in line with the constitution.

He said, “The constitution provides that 13 per cent of revenue from minerals, especially crude oil and gas, should be paid to the states where they are produced. This is why the verification and plotting of coordinates of the new and disputed oil and gas wells is not optional, but a constitutional obligation.”

According to him, the exercise cuts across all oil-producing states, including Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Ondo, Rivers, Delta, and offshore locations.

He observed that disputes often arose whenever new oil fields came on stream, as multiple states might lay claim to them.

Shehu pointed out that only facts will reveal “who actually owns what, and if ownership has to be shared between states”.

He stated that to guarantee transparency and credibility, the commission undertook extensive fieldwork between September 2025 and January 2026, covering creeks, high seas, and offshore terrains in company of the surveyors-general of the affected states throughout the exercise.

According to him, “We went to the field ourselves, and where we could not physically access, we deployed drones to take the coordinates…all data collected were witnessed by representatives of the affected states.”

Shehu assured stakeholders that RMAFC remained impartial throughout the process, stressing that the commission will be an “unbiased umpire and will deploy justice, equity, and fairness for which it is known”.

The RMAFC chairman expressed confidence that the outcome of the exercise would significantly reduce disputes and strengthen trust in the derivation process.

He commended the acting chairman of Crude Oil Monitoring Committee, Hon. Hakeem Amosu, as well as Chairman, Gas Monitoring Committee, Hon. Rabiu Garba, for their guidance and support for the committees, which contributed significantly to their success.

Earlier, Secretary to the commission, Joseph Nwaze, described the exercise as a product of commitment to duty and healthy inter-agency cooperation.

Nwaze said the successful completion of the exercise would reinforce confidence in RMAFC’s role as a neutral institution committed to fairness in revenue administration and fiscal federalism.

RMAFC Director, Crude Oil Department, Dr. Khadija Kumo, described the exercise as timely and critical to the future of energy governance in the country.

Kumo stated that beyond gross energy flow, attention must now shift to efficiency and the role of oil and gas in supporting the wider economy.

She commended the technical team and participating states for their collaboration and urged continued engagement to ensure sustainable, data-driven decision-making in the sector.