By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has emphasized the need for collaboration between the state and federal governments to boost investment in crude oil exploration. This call came during a working visit to Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, in Abuja.
In a press release from the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Ismaila Isah, Ododo expressed the Kogi State government’s readiness to work closely with the federal government to facilitate oil exploration in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s frontier basins.
Senator Lokpobiri reinforced Kogi’s status as an oil-producing state and assured that the federal government is committed to mobilizing investments to explore the state’s significant crude oil deposits. He highlighted the role of the Petroleum Industry Act, which tasks the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) with the exploration of frontier basins. Lokpobiri reiterated the federal government’s determination to allocate funds for unlocking new oil discoveries across Nigeria.
Governor Ododo was commended by the minister for his efforts in providing good governance and fostering an environment conducive to investment. Notably, Kogi State became the first oil-producing state in Northern Nigeria following the federal government’s confirmation of oil discovery in commercial quantities in 2022.
