The Federal Government has commenced the plotting of coordinates of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells across the country following the completion of a verification exercise.
The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, disclosed this on Monday during a flag-off ceremony at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Dr Shehu said the task was being handled by an Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) set up by RMAFC, comprising the National Boundary Commission, the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Commission itself.
According to him, the committee has completed the verification of coordinates of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells, with the plotting phase expected to determine their exact locations and rightful ownership.
He explained that the exercise was necessary to ensure compliance with the constitutional provision granting oil-producing states 13 per cent derivation from revenue generated from crude oil and gas.
Dr Shehu noted that the exercise covers oil-producing states including Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Ondo, Rivers and Delta, as well as offshore locations, adding that disputes often arise when new oil fields come on stream.
To ensure transparency, he said extensive fieldwork was conducted between September 2025 and January 2026 across creeks, offshore and high-sea locations, with drones deployed where physical access was not possible, and all data witnessed by representatives of affected states.
He assured stakeholders that RMAFC would remain impartial throughout the process, expressing confidence that the outcome would reduce disputes and strengthen trust in the derivation revenue system. “RMAFC will be an unbiased umpire and will deploy justice, equity and fairness for which it is known,” he said.