In Abuja, by Obas Esiedesa
Plotting coordinates for recently drilled and disputed oil and gas fields situated along the borders of numerous oil-producing states has been initiated by the Federal Government through the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Boundaries between Edo and Delta states, Ondo and Delta, Anambra and Delta, Anambra and Imo, Rivers and Imo, Rivers and Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom, and Cross River and Akwa Ibom are among the affected areas.
The chairman of RMAFC, Dr. Mohammed Shehu, stated that the coordinates of the oil and gas fields had been determined and would be plotted during the meeting at the start of a five-day exercise involving representatives from the impacted states and other federal agencies in Abuja.
Shehu reassured the states that the process would be fair and transparent, pointing out that the Commission is required by the Constitution to make sure that the 13% derivation fund is distributed fairly among states that produce oil and gas.
He clarified that in order to confirm and plot the coordinates of contested and recently drilled oil and gas wells, the Commission established an inter-agency technical committee in June 2025 that included the National Boundary Commission, the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and RMAFC.
“Paying 13% derivation to states that produce mineral resources, particularly gas and crude oil, is constitutional,” Shehu stated. “In accordance with this, we have verified the coordinates of new and disputed oil wells as requested by the NUPRC.”
He revealed that between September and October 2025, committee representatives conducted field verification exercises in which they physically collected the coordinates by visiting offshore places, creeks, and onshore sites.
He claims that in order to guarantee accuracy and transparency, the exercise was carried out in cooperation with the National Boundary Commission, the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, and the surveyors-general of the oil-producing states.
“The coordinates will now be plotted. Oil well ownership conflicts between governments have long existed, and this initiative is a part of the ongoing attempt to confirm such claims, according to Shehu.
The creation of a final report is anticipated to be completed next week, he continued, marking the end of the five-day exercise.
The Commission physically verified the coordinates to guarantee their accuracy, according to Mrs. Kadija Umo, the Chairman of the Inter-agency Technical Committee.
She clarified that the exercise includes both recently drilled oil wells and contested sites that certain states have brought to the Commission’s notice.
Some oil wells are shared by three states, while others are shared by two states. Every state that filed a complaint was visited, and the coordinates were given and confirmed, according to Umo.
In order to assure accuracy and equity in the distribution of derivation payments, she pointed out that this effort was the first time the Commission physically confirmed oil well coordinates on the ground rather than depending only on data from regulatory bodies.
