Cross River State may soon return to Nigeria’s list of oil-producing states following the submission of a federal verification report to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
A 14-member Federal Government Inter-Agency Technical Committee completed the review and formally presented its findings to RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu, on February 13, 2026. Ten members signed and delivered the report after a six-month nationwide verification exercise that ran from August 2025 to February 2026.
Nationwide Coordinate Verification
The committee examined crude oil and gas coordinates recorded between 2017 and 2025. It drew members from several federal bodies, including the National Boundary Commission, the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Nigerian Hydrographic Agency, alongside security agencies.
Their mandate focused on scientifically determining the precise onshore and offshore locations of oil and gas assets within Nigeria’s territorial boundaries.
During the exercise, the team visited more than 12 states, including Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo, Anambra, Abia, and Cross River. They verified over 1,000 oil and gas coordinates using confirmed reservoir and hydrographic data.
According to officials familiar with the process, the review resolved several long-standing boundary overlaps, including disputes between Rivers and Akwa Ibom, Delta and Edo, Delta and Ondo, Imo and Rivers, Imo and Anambra, and Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
Where reservoirs crossed state lines, the committee relied on technical and geological evidence to guide shared attributions rather than political considerations.
Cross River’s Re-Listing Gains Momentum
The report places Cross River in a strong position to regain oil-producing status for the first time since 2008. Technical projections show the state could have more than 100 producing wells attributed to it, particularly from Oil Mining Lease (OML) 114 located within its maritime territory.
However, a 2012 Supreme Court ruling may retain 76 disputed oil wells in Akwa Ibom State pending further judicial interpretation. Even so, sources involved in the verification insist that the geological data supporting Cross River’s claim remain clear and compelling.
An earlier federal review in May 2024 had attributed 67 wells from OML 114 to Cross River. That recommendation, however, was not implemented. The latest verification exercise strengthened the case with updated hydrographic mapping and reservoir analysis.
Awaiting Presidential Approval
The RMAFC chairman is now awaiting assent from Bola Tinubu before the commission can implement the committee’s recommendations.
Once the President grants approval, the RMAFC Board of Commissioners will convene to adopt an operational framework and update Nigeria’s official list of oil-producing states.
Stakeholders say the development could significantly reshape revenue allocations tied to derivation funds. Beyond fiscal implications, many describe the move as a restoration of administrative clarity and constitutional equity grounded in scientific validation.