RMAFC says no final decision yet on disputed oil wells, urges public to await official report

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has denied reports suggesting that certain disputed crude oil and gas wells have been earmarked for ceding to specific oil-producing states, stressing that no final decision has been made.

In a statement on Sunday, the commission’s Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Shehu, said the attention of RMAFC 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 parts of the media.

The report claimed that recommendations had already been made to allocate certain oil wells to particular states. The commission described the report as “misleading, premature, and not reflective of RMAFC’s position or conclusions.”

“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.

RMAFC explained that it operates a transparent and clearly defined process in handling matters of national significance, and the exercise on disputed oil wells has not yet concluded. The commission 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, including 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.

After receiving feedback from these agencies, the matter will be examined further by RMAFC’s internal tripartite committees, including the Committee on Crude Oil, Gas and Investment and the Legal Matters Committee. These committees will conduct comprehensive technical and legal reviews before submitting findings to the Plenary Session of RMAFC for deliberation and final recommendations.

Once the process is complete, the commission said, the final report will be formally transmitted to the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation for consideration and any further action required under the law.

The commission urged the public, stakeholders, and media organisations to disregard speculative reports and await official communication, reaffirming its commitment to transparency, due process, and the objective discharge of its constitutional mandate.

Earlier, in January 2026, RMAFC called on oil-producing states to actively participate in plotting verified coordinates of disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells to ensure a mutually acceptable outcome. Chairman Shehu stressed that state participation was critical and assured that the commission would remain impartial throughout the exercise.

“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.