The Federal Government has pledged to support the resumption of exploration activities at the Kolmani Oil Field in Bauchi State, following months of inactivity at the project.
The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Muhammad Bello, made the commitment on Monday during a verification visit to the oil field.
Bello said the commission visited the site to assess the current situation and determine how best to support efforts to restart the project, which he described as important to Bauchi State, the North-East and Nigeria as a whole.
He said the government wanted the momentum of the project, which began in 2023, to return, adding that President Bola Tinubu was concerned about the project and had assured the governors of Bauchi and Gombe that efforts would be made to remobilise activities.
The RMAFC chairman said the commission would assess the project and submit its findings to the relevant authorities to support the resumption of exploration.
During the visit, Bello also inspected the ongoing construction of the Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy and commended the state government for establishing an institution that could provide skilled manpower for the oil and gas sector.
The Bauchi State Commissioner for Natural Resources, Maiwada Bello, disclosed that exploration activities at the Kolmani site had stopped since July 2025.
He explained that the state government became aware of the suspension after receiving reports from the host community that the technical company handling the project was withdrawing from the site.
According to him, the state and local government subsequently formed a joint team to engage the company and investigate the situation.
The commissioner said the latest visit by the federal commission had raised hopes that activities would resume at the oil field.
He assured that the Bauchi State Government remained ready to provide the manpower and other necessary support to facilitate the continuation of the exploration project.
The Kolmani oil project is regarded as strategically important to the North-East, with expectations that its development could create jobs, generate revenue and contribute to Nigeria’s domestic oil production.
