The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, has received the final report of the Federal Government’s Inter-Agency Committee on Nigeria’s Oil-Producing States, with Cross River projected to be re-listed as an oil-producing state.
The report, submitted at the weekend, followed a nationwide verification of crude oil and gas coordinates conducted between August 2025 and February 2026.
The 14-member committee, represented by 10 members at the presentation, submitted its findings to the RMAFC Chairman, Mr M. B. Shehu, after field verification and technical reconciliation of state submissions. Final plotting of coordinates was carried out at the commission’s headquarters between January 24 and 31, 2026.
An independent source described the exercise as one of the most comprehensive coordinate verifications in recent years.
RMAFC Chairman reportedly said the assignment was “rigorous, technical and nationally significant,” noting that over 1,000 crude oil and gas coordinates were verified nationwide.
He said the exercise involved physical verification, hydrographic validation, boundary reconciliation and security-backed confirmations.
The committee comprised representatives of RMAFC, National Boundary Commission, Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Nigerian Hydrographic Agency and security agencies.
Over six months, the team visited more than 12 states, including Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo, Anambra, Abia and Cross River.
Findings indicate that several oil-producing states may benefit from new well attributions based on verified onshore and offshore reservoir data. Boundary overlaps involving Rivers–Akwa Ibom, Delta–Edo, Delta–Ondo, Imo–Rivers, Imo–Anambra and Akwa Ibom–Cross River were resolved through shared attributions guided by technical evidence.
For Cross River, projections in the report indicate the state could regain oil-producing status with over 100 producing oil wells from verified coordinates, particularly from Oil Mining Lease 114 within its maritime territory.
However, following the 2012 Supreme Court judgment, 76 oil wells are expected to remain in Akwa Ibom pending further judicial clarification.
Sources familiar with the process described Cross River’s geological evidence as compelling. A senior official said the verified coordinates clearly establish the state’s producing status.
In May 2024, an earlier report attributed 67 oil wells from OML 114 to Cross River, though implementation did not follow. The latest submission reportedly relied on enhanced scientific and hydrographic data.
Implementation now awaits presidential approval. Upon assent, the RMAFC Board of Commissioners is expected to meet to approve the framework for updating Nigeria’s list of oil-producing states.
Stakeholders in Cross River described the development as a significant step toward restoring the state’s oil-producing status.
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