The Federal Government has renewed efforts to revive exploration activities at the Kolmani Oil Field in Bauchi State, following a verification visit by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC.
The RMAFC Chairman, Muhammad Bello, disclosed the development on Monday during an inspection visit to the oil field, where he said the commission was assessing the current state of the project with a view to supporting efforts to restart exploration.
Bello said the commission’s visit was aimed at verifying developments on the ground and gathering the necessary information to enable it advocate for the continuation of the project.
According to him, the revival of the Kolmani project is important not only to Bauchi State and the North-East but to Nigeria as a whole, particularly given the potential economic benefits associated with the development of new oil and gas resources.
“We want the momentum of the project that was started in 2023 to return,” Bello said.
He explained that RMAFC would complete its assessment and report its findings to the relevant authorities, while continuing to monitor developments in the oil and gas sector.
The commission chairman also disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was concerned about the project and had assured the governors of Bauchi and Gombe States that mobilisation would be provided to enable exploration activities to continue.
“We know for a fact that Mr President is very much concerned as far as this project is concerned. We know that he has assured the two governors that there will be mobilisation for the project to continue,” Bello said. citeturn0news0turn0search1
The development comes after exploration activities at the Kolmani site reportedly stalled, with the Bauchi State Commissioner for Natural Resources, Maiwada Bello, disclosing that work had stopped since July 2025.
The commissioner explained that the state government became aware of the situation after receiving information from members of the host community that the technical company handling the project was demobilising from the site.
He said the state government subsequently constituted a joint team involving the state and local government authorities to engage the technical company and determine the reasons for the suspension of activities.
“When we came here, actually there was no activity,” Maiwada said, explaining that the demobilisation occurred between January and July 2025.
The commissioner expressed optimism that the RMAFC verification visit could help pave the way for the return of exploration activities to the site.
The Kolmani Integrated Development Project is located along the Bauchi-Gombe axis and has long been regarded as a potentially significant oil and gas development for the North-East.
The project gained national attention following the commencement of oil exploration activities in the Kolmani area, with expectations that the discovery and development of hydrocarbon resources could help diversify the region’s economy and provide new sources of government revenue.
The current push to revive the project is therefore being viewed by stakeholders as an opportunity to unlock the economic potential of the area.
For Bauchi State, the state government says the resumption of exploration could attract fresh investments, create employment opportunities and increase revenue generation.
The Commissioner for Natural Resources said the state remained prepared to provide the manpower and other support required to facilitate the project once exploration activities resume.
“Bauchi State under the leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed is ever ready to provide every manpower needed to support the exploration,” he said.
During the verification visit, the RMAFC delegation also inspected the ongoing construction of the Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy.
Bello commended the state government for developing the institution, noting that the academy could provide the skilled manpower needed to support the oil and gas industry once exploration and production activities become fully operational.
He also noted that RMAFC had contributed to the funding of the institution.
The development of the academy alongside the push to revive Kolmani exploration is expected to strengthen local capacity and create opportunities for residents of the region to participate in the emerging oil and gas economy.
Stakeholders are now awaiting the outcome of RMAFC’s assessment and the subsequent actions of the Federal Government on the remobilisation of exploration activities.
For the North-East, the revival of Kolmani could represent more than an oil exploration project, with potential implications for employment, infrastructure development, investment and government revenue.
The Federal Government’s latest commitment therefore raises fresh expectations that activities at the long-stalled oil field could resume after months of inactivity.
However, the immediate timeline for remobilisation and the level of investment required to restart full exploration activities have not yet been disclosed.
RMAFC has said it will continue to follow developments at the project and work with relevant authorities to support efforts to restore exploration activities at Kolmani.
