By Abasi Ita
Renewed optimism is spreading across Cross River State as the Federal Government begins the plotting of coordinates for disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells, a process expected to bring clarity to long standing ownership disputes and determine states entitled to derivation revenue.
The exercise is being coordinated by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission following the conclusion of field verification by an Inter Agency Technical Committee set up to address oil well disputes among producing states.
At the flag off of the plotting phase in Abuja on Monday, the Chairman of RMAFC, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, said the initiative represents a major step toward settling disagreements over the location and ownership of oil and gas wells across the Niger Delta and offshore terrains.
Dr Shehu explained that the committee, made up of the National Boundary Commission, the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and RMAFC, has completed the verification of coordinates and is now proceeding to the plotting stage, which will establish the precise location of disputed and newly drilled wells.
He stressed that the exercise is a constitutional duty, noting that the Constitution provides for the payment of 13 per cent derivation to states where crude oil and gas are produced. According to him, ownership will be determined strictly by verified data and facts on the ground, not by claims or assumptions.
For Cross River State, the development has reignited hope that decades of uncertainty over offshore oil assets, estimated at about 76 oil wells, may soon be resolved, potentially opening access to long awaited derivation funds.
The RMAFC chairman assured stakeholders that the Commission would remain impartial throughout the process, guided by the principles of justice, equity and fairness.
He disclosed that extensive fieldwork was conducted between September 2025 and January 2026 across creeks, offshore locations and high seas, with surveyors general and representatives of the affected states present. In areas that were difficult to access, drones were deployed to obtain accurate coordinates.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the Commission, Joseph Okechukwu Nwaze, described the exercise as the outcome of strong inter agency collaboration, adding that its successful completion would further strengthen confidence in RMAFC’s role as a neutral arbiter in revenue administration.
The Director of the Crude Oil Department at RMAFC, Dr Khadija Kumo, said the exercise represents the most comprehensive verification of oil well coordinates ever undertaken by the Commission. She noted that the plotting phase is being carried out transparently in the presence of officials from affected states to ensure credibility and acceptance.
Coordinator of the Inter Agency Technical Committee, Prince Folorunsho Aderinwala, commended the leadership of RMAFC for providing the support that enabled the committee to carry out its assignment effectively.
As the plotting exercise continues, expectations remain high in Cross River State that the outcome will finally bring clarity to the long disputed oil wells and reposition the state to benefit fully from its offshore resources.