RMAFC Initiates Process to Address Oil Well Disputes in Niger Delta

The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, officially commenced the process of plotting the coordinates for disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells in various oil-producing states on Monday.

In a press briefing in Abuja, Shehu highlighted that this initiative represents a significant step in Nigeria's management of revenue and its governance of resources. The exercise is scheduled to take place from January 26 to January 30, 2026, following an extensive verification process carried out by the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC), which gathered information from the states involved on these disputes.

According to Daily Trust, the plotting of these coordinates involves determining the exact locations of the disputed and recently drilled oil wells, impacting the affected oil-producing states.

Dr. Shehu noted that the RMAFC derives its authority from Paragraph 32(a) of Part I, Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which charges the Commission to oversee the accrual and distribution of revenue from the Federation Account. This includes ensuring a fair allocation of the 13 percent Derivation Fund to the oil- and gas-producing states.

He further explained that the Commission established the Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC), which includes members from the National Boundary Commission (NBC), the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGoF), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The mandate for the Committee involves verifying and marking the coordinates of both disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells in the affected regions. While the verification stage has concluded, the ongoing plotting exercise is expected to ascertain the accurate locations of these wells and ensure that new oil and gas resources are correctly attributed to their respective states.

Shehu urged representatives from the impacted oil-producing states to actively engage in the process to ensure transparency, credibility, and shared ownership of the outcomes.

“The Commission will continue to act impartially and will uphold principles of justice, equity, and fairness in this task,” he affirmed.

Background information reveals that in September 2025, the Federal Government, via the RMAFC, began the verification of disputed and recently drilled oil and gas fields in the Niger Delta region. Dr. Shehu, who led the committee to the Aneize oil field in the Okpai area of Delta State, emphasized that the verification was prompted by petitions from various states.

The verification aimed to address concerns raised by the Executive Governors of states like Anambra, Imo, and Delta, focusing on the rightful ownership and territorial boundaries of certain crude oil and gas assets.

Significantly, the Aneize oil field within OML 143, along with the Eyine and Ameshi fields, is among the key areas subjected to scrutiny. During the Committee's stay in Delta State, it will thoroughly investigate these points, validating the coordinates of newly drilled oil and gas wells in the region from 2017 to the present.

The Chairman stated that the Committee plans to extend its investigations to Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Ondo, Edo, and other states to comprehensively address the multiple complaints and petitions presented by these jurisdictions.

Reports indicate that critical areas affected include boundary demarcations between Edo and Delta, Ondo and Delta, Anambra and Delta, Anambra and Imo, Rivers and Imo, Rivers and Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom, as well as Cross River and Akwa Ibom.