President Bola Tinubu has approved all the necessary regulatory licences for the Kolmani Integrated Development Project, a major oil exploration initiative located between Bauchi and Gombe states.
This announcement was made by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, during the launch of the permanent site for the Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy in Alkaleri Local Government Area.
According to a statement by the minister’s media aide, Nneamaka Okafor, the approvals are part of the government’s plan to increase oil production by using all available energy resources in the country.
Lokpobiri said President Tinubu is focused on transforming Nigeria’s energy sector to support industrial development, create jobs, and grow the economy.
He praised Bauchi State for supporting the Federal Government’s energy goals and said the new oil and gas academy shows the state’s dedication to training skilled workers for the industry.
He also acknowledged the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) for its efforts in building human capacity in the oil sector, expressing hope that the new academy would work closely with the PTDF.
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, thanked the Federal Government and said the academy would become a center for skill development and innovation, benefiting not just Bauchi but the entire country.
The Kolmani Integrated Development Project, which began in November 2022, marks the start of oil exploration in Northern Nigeria.
It is located in the Kolmani River II oil field, on the border between Bauchi and Gombe.
Recently, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) announced that it would resume drilling in the area.
The Group Chief Executive of NNPC, Bayo Ojulari, said the project would reopen previously shut companies and attract new ones, boosting economic activities in the region.
He also mentioned plans to complete the gas pipeline from Ajaokuta to Kano.
