Disputed Oil Wells: No Final Decision Yet, RMAFC Tells Public
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has dismissed reports claiming that certain disputed crude oil and gas wells have been recommended for transfer to specific oil-producing states, insisting that no such decision has been taken.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the commission’s chairman, Dr. Mohammed Shehu, said RMAFC’s attention had been drawn to a “purported report allegedly issued by the Inter-Agency Committee on the Verification of Coordinates of Disputed Crude Oil and Gas Wells between States,” which has been circulating in sections of the national media.
According to the commission, the report falsely claimed that recommendations had already been made to cede some oil wells to particular states. RMAFC described the publication as “misleading, premature, and not reflective of the position or conclusions” of the commission.
“At this stage, there is no finalised recommendation or decision regarding the ceding or reallocation of any oil wells, as due institutional processes are still ongoing,” the statement said.
The commission stressed that it operates a clearly defined and transparent procedure in handling matters of national importance, adding that the process concerning the disputed oil wells has not been concluded.
It disclosed that it only received a draft report from the inter-agency committee on Friday, February 13, 2026.
“Consistent with established protocol, the draft document has been transmitted to relevant technical and statutory stakeholders, namely the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the National Boundary Commission, and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, for detailed review, observations, and technical input,” the statement added.
RMAFC explained that after receiving feedback from the agencies, the matter would undergo further scrutiny by its internal tripartite committees, including the Committee on Crude Oil, Gas and Investment and the Legal Matters Committee.
“These committees will undertake comprehensive technical and legal reviews before presenting their findings to the Plenary Session of the Commission for deliberation and final recommendations,” it said.
The commission further stated that once all institutional processes are completed, its final report will be formally transmitted to the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation for consideration and further action in line with applicable laws and constitutional provisions.
“In view of the clearly established procedures, the Commission considers the report currently circulating in the media as speculative, inaccurate, and capable of misleading the public,” the statement noted.
RMAFC urged the public, stakeholders and media organisations to disregard the purported report and await official communication upon completion of the statutory review process, reiterating its commitment to transparency, due process and the objective discharge of its constitutional mandate in the national interest.
Earlier in January 2026, the commission had called on oil-producing states to fully cooperate in the ongoing exercise to resolve disputes over oil and gas wells through the plotting of verified coordinates.
Speaking in Abuja at the flag-off of the exercise, Dr. Shehu said active participation by the affected states was critical to ensuring that the outcome would be widely accepted.
“It is in respect of this development that I urge the representatives of the affected oil-producing states to actively participate while plotting the verified coordinates, so that the outcome would be acceptable to all,” he said, assuring that the commission would remain impartial throughout the process.
