Micah Jonah, February 15, 2026
The Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission has formally received the final report of the Federal Government’s Inter Agency Technical Committee on Nigeria’s oil producing states, with projections indicating that Cross River State may be re listed as an oil producing state.
The report was presented on February 13, 2026 to RMAFC Chairman, Mohammed Shehu by 10 members of the 14 member committee, following a six month nationwide verification exercise conducted between August 2025 and February 2026.
The committee comprised representatives from the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, National Boundary Commission, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Nigerian Hydrographic Agency and relevant security agencies. Their mandate was to scientifically determine the precise location of oil and gas assets within Nigeria’s onshore, offshore boundaries.
According to the report, more than 12 states including Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo, Imo, Anambra, Abia and Cross River were visited. Over 1,000 crude oil and gas coordinates were verified based on confirmed onshore, offshore reservoir data.
Findings indicate that nearly all oil producing states may benefit from new oil well attributions arising from the verified coordinates. Several longstanding boundary overlaps were also resolved, including Rivers–Akwa Ibom, Delta–Edo, Delta–Ondo, Imo–Rivers, Imo–Anambra and Akwa Ibom–Cross River disputes.
For Cross River, technical projections reportedly place the state in a strong position to regain oil producing status, with more than 100 producing oil wells identified from verified onshore and offshore reservoir coordinates, particularly from Oil Mining Lease 114 located within its maritime territory.
Although Cross River reportedly submitted over 245 surface coordinates, the implications of the 2012 Supreme Court judgment are expected to retain 76 oil wells in Akwa Ibom State pending further judicial interpretation.
Sources close to the verification process described the geological evidence supporting Cross River’s claim as compelling and empirical. An Abuja based fiscal expert was quoted as saying the exercise separates administrative attribution from geological reality, with Cross River emerging strongly.
The report also referenced an earlier 2024 committee review that attributed 67 wells from OML 114 to Cross River, though implementation did not follow. The 2025 verification, strengthened with hydrographic and reservoir data, proved decisive in the current assessment.
RMAFC Chairman, Shehu is said to be awaiting the assent of Bola Tinubu for the implementation of the committee’s recommendations. Upon presidential approval, the RMAFC Board of Commissioners are expected to convene to finalize the operational framework for updating Nigeria’s official list of oil producing states.
Stakeholders described the development as a potential restoration of economic equity and constitutional recognition for Cross River State.
