By Abasi ItaÂ
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has refuted reports alleging that it has approved the ceding of disputed crude oil and gas wells to certain oil producing states, insisting that no such decision has been reached.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, the Commission described as misleading a report purportedly issued by the Inter Agency Committee on the Verification of Coordinates of Disputed Crude Oil and Gas Wells between States. The circulating report had suggested that recommendations were already made to transfer specific oil wells to some states.
Shehu clarified that the Commission has not finalised any recommendation or taken any decision on the reallocation of oil wells, stressing that the statutory review process is still in progress.
According to him, the Commission only received a draft report from the Federal Government’s Inter Agency Committee on Nigeria’s Oil Producing States on February 13, 2026. The draft reportedly indicated that Cross River State could be recognised as an oil producing state.
The report covers the nationwide verification of crude oil and gas coordinates from 2017 to 2025 and was presented by 10 out of the 14 committee members. The exercise, conducted between August 2025 and February 2026, included field verification, reconciliation of submissions by affected states and plenary plotting of coordinates at the Commission’s headquarters.
RMAFC explained that in line with established procedures, the draft document has been forwarded to relevant technical and statutory agencies, including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the National Boundary Commission and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation for detailed technical review and input.
The Commission further disclosed that upon receipt of observations from the agencies, the matter will be examined by its internal committees on Crude Oil, Gas and Investment, as well as Legal Matters, before being presented to the plenary for deliberation and possible recommendations.
It maintained that only after the completion of all institutional procedures would its final position be formally communicated to the President and the Attorney General of the Federation for necessary action in line with constitutional provisions.