The Federal Government and the Kogi State Government have agreed to partner on oil exploration as part of efforts to increase Nigeria’s oil production, with the goal of making Kogi an oil-producing state, thereby granting it associated benefits and privileges.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, revealed this while hosting the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo, at the NNPCL Towers in Abuja on Thursday.
The Minister assured Governor Ododo of the Federal Government’s support, stating that the necessary exploratory work will soon be conducted in Kogi by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), the body responsible for monitoring operations at drilling sites, producing wells, production platforms, and flow stations. He also commended Governor Ododo for providing good governance and curbing insecurity in the state.
Lokpobiri reaffirmed Kogi’s status as an oil-producing state and pledged the Federal Government’s commitment to mobilizing investments through the Frontier Exploration Fund. He added that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) mandates the NUPRC to explore frontier basins.
“What remains to be done is for us to partner with the Kogi State Government so that we can use the Frontier Exploration Fund to carry out the necessary exploration, which could involve substantial seismic work. This will help us discover more fields in Kogi, enabling the state to play a significant role in the league of states advancing rapidly towards oil derivation.
“As a government, we are committed to working closely with the Kogi State Government to achieve this. I will visit Kogi State with the NUPRC team that manages the Frontier Exploration Fund, which is exclusively designated for exploratory activities and personnel development.”
In his earlier remarks, Governor Ododo stated that Kogi would collaborate with the Federal Government to ensure that oil exploration in the state begins, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to pursue oil exploration in Nigeria’s frontier basins.
Echoing Governor Ododo’s views, the Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Asiwaju Ashiru Idris, mentioned that the governor has developed a 32-year plan to transform Kogi into an industrial hub through infrastructural development and exploratory activities.
“We have numerous solid mineral companies springing up across the state, as we are blessed with abundant solid minerals. We need to capitalize on this to achieve our plans.
“The government’s primary focus is on security and infrastructure, but with your support, we can do even better. It’s worth noting that the AKK pipeline passes through Kogi State, and we aim to establish a gas industrial park in the state,” the commissioner said.
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