The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, OFR at the flag-off ceremony of the exercise at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The Federal Government has commenced the plotting of coordinates of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells, a development expected to have significant implications for Cross River State and other oil-producing states across the country.

The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, OFR, disclosed this on Monday, January 26, 2026, during the flag-off ceremony of the exercise at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

Dr Shehu said the exercise followed the completion of verification by an Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) inaugurated by RMAFC to ascertain the precise coordinates of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells, including those located in areas claimed by Cross River State.

According to him, the committee—comprising the National Boundary Commission (NBC), the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation (OSGoF), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and RMAFC—has verified the coordinates, with the plotting phase expected to determine the rightful ownership of the wells.

He explained that the exercise was critical to ensuring oil-producing states, such as Cross River, receive their constitutionally guaranteed 13 per cent derivation revenue from crude oil and gas resources produced within their territories.

“The verification and plotting of coordinates of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells is not optional, but a constitutional obligation,” Dr Shehu said, adding that accurate location data would resolve long-standing ownership disputes.

The RMAFC chairman confirmed that the exercise covers all oil-producing states, including Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta, Ondo and offshore locations. He noted that disputes often arise when new oil fields come on stream, as more than one state may lay claim to them.

To ensure transparency, Dr Shehu disclosed that extensive fieldwork was conducted between September 2025 and January 2026 across creeks, offshore terrains and high seas, with the participation of Surveyors-General from affected states, including Cross River State.

He said drones were deployed in areas that were difficult to access physically, while state representatives witnessed the data collection process.

He assured stakeholders in Cross River and other oil-producing states that RMAFC would remain impartial, pledging that the commission would apply justice, equity and fairness in determining the final outcomes.

Dr. Shehu commended members of the Crude Oil and Gas Monitoring Committees for their support, noting that their contributions played a key role in the success of the verification phase.

Earlier, the Secretary to the Commission, Joseph Okechukwu Nwaze, said the successful completion of the exercise would reinforce public confidence in RMAFC’s role as a neutral arbiter in revenue administration.

In her remarks, the Director of Crude Oil Department, RMAFC, Dr. Khadija Kumo, described the exercise as timely and critical to energy governance, urging sustained collaboration to ensure data-driven decisions in the oil and gas sector.

Stakeholders believe the outcome of the exercise could finally clarify the status of oil and gas wells linked to Cross River State, potentially strengthening the state’s revenue base and long-standing claims within the Niger Delta region.

It will be recalled that the verification exercise was flagged off in October 2025 following petitions from several oil-producing states seeking clarification on the ownership and boundaries of crude oil and gas resources in the Niger Delta, a development that has continued to generate interest in Cross River State. (Nigerian Tribune)

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