Cross River State has said that its efforts to regain littoral status should not be interpreted as a claim on any territory belonging to Akwa Ibom State.
Nsa Gill, special adviser on Public Affairs to Governor Bassey Otu, addressed this point during a briefing, stating the need for clarification due to what he described as the politicisation of the issue by some Akwa Ibom elders.
He stressed that the matter extends beyond previous Supreme Court judgments, which some argue preclude Cross River from benefiting from coastal resources.
Gill highlighted the scientific basis for Cross River’s claim to littoral status, emphasising the continued existence of Bakassi Local Government Area within the state and its access to the Gulf of Guinea, despite the ICJ ruling those ceded parts of the peninsula to Cameroon.
He explained that Governor Otu, after evaluating the Bakassi Deep Seaport project, has taken steps to ensure its realisation. A key step was the approval for a hydrographic, geophysical, and geotechnical survey of the area, contracted to the National Hydrographic Agency (under the Nigerian Navy). This survey, conducted around Parrot and Tomshot Islands, provided crucial data on soil composition, water depth, and other parameters necessary for the port’s construction.
Gill emphasised the broader national significance of the survey, stating that its results have the potential to reshape the understanding of the Gulf of Guinea. The technical report was presented to the President, who subsequently approved funding for the Bakassi Deep Seaport project from Afrexim Bank, with construction managed by Arise Integrated Industrial Platforms. The survey provided Nigeria with an updated nautical chart, recognised in the World Hydrographic Chart, generating revenue from ships using the area. Furthermore, it reinforces the strategic importance of the Cross River Estuary for navigation, maritime security, and continental shelf entitlement.
“Following the presentation of scientific data, the President authorised an Inter-agency Technical Committee for field verification. This committee included representatives from Akwa Ibom State, led by their Surveyor General, as well as the Cross River State and Federal Surveyors General, and other federal agencies. The team conducted a technical verification, plotting 239 crude oil and gas wellheads using current scientific base maps. This process goes beyond the 76 oil wells controversially awarded to Akwa Ibom State in 2012, following a Supreme Court judgment, which Cross River argues was implemented administratively without a proper survey by the National Boundary Commission and the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission,” he explained.
He reiterated that Cross River’s claims were based on verifiable facts, not propaganda. He stated that Governor Otu was committed to recovering the state’s lost littoral status and the associated financial earnings that were allocated to Akwa Ibom after the 2012 Supreme Court judgment. He expressed hope that, in time, Akwa Ibom residents will also benefit from the resulting prosperity and development.
He concluded by underscoring the national maritime security implications of the Cross River Estuary and its offshore boundaries.
He also pointed out that the ICJ judgment of 2002 did not cede all parts of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon and that Cross River Estuary still exists, and that Nigeria never ceded oil wells to Cameroon.
He wondered: “If Nigeria did not cede any oil well to Cameroon, why is Cross River denied what was known to be theirs?”
