Kogi Government Moves to Secure Major Oil Exploration Investment

By Chinedu Echianu

The Kogi State Government is taking bold steps to attract investment into its oil and gas sector, following a high-level meeting with key federal stakeholders in Abuja aimed at accelerating exploration activities in the state.

This was revealed in a press statement by Ismaila Isah, Special Adviser on Media to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo who stated that Governor Ododo met earlier this week with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, to outline a roadmap for the development of Kogi’s hydrocarbon resources.

The meeting, held at the Ministry’s headquarters, focused on leveraging the Frontier Basin Exploration Fund managed by NUPRC to kickstart oil exploration and development in the state. Kogi became the first oil-producing state in Northern Nigeria following the federal government’s 2022 confirmation of oil discovery in commercial quantities.

Governor Ododo reiterated Kogi State’s readiness to collaborate with relevant federal agencies and private investors to unlock its oil and gas potential. He noted that the state had already enacted a law establishing the Oil Producing Area Development Commission and is actively engaging with federal stakeholders to ensure a transparent and inclusive process.

“Our administration is committed to creating an enabling environment for investors while ensuring that oil exploration benefits the people of Kogi State. We are aligning our efforts with President Bola Tinubu’s vision to increase Nigeria’s oil production capacity,” Governor Ododo said.

He also emphasized that the state is positioning itself to provide the required support infrastructure and policy framework to attract both local and international investors to its oil and gas sector.

Minister Lokpobiri, in his remarks, reaffirmed Kogi’s status as an oil-producing state and pledged federal government backing for mobilizing investments into the region. He highlighted the strategic importance of Kogi in the national energy map and assured that the federal government, through the NUPRC, would support all efforts to bring oil production in the state fully on stream.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission is mandated under the Petroleum Industry Act to deploy resources towards unlocking new oil frontiers, particularly in under-explored basins like those found in Kogi.