Northern Governors Meet Over Oil And Gas Exploration

Following the planned meeting by 13 northern states, which fall under the region’s sedimentary basin later today in Minna, Niger State, the North has signified its strong intention to commence oil and gas exploration activities

In a statement yesterday by Chief Press Secretary to Niger State governor, Danladi Ndayebo, Gov. Babangida Aliyu, who doubles as the Chairman of the Northern State Governors Forum, will on Monday declare the meeting of the Association of Petroleum Inland Basin States of Northern Nigeria open.

The statement said Aliyu, in his capacity as chairman of the NSGF, had invited his counterparts whose states fall within the region’s sedimentary basin to direct their relevant commissioners to attend the meeting of the association in Minna to enable them brainstorm on the action plan that would kick start and sustain oil and gas exploration activities in the North.

The Inland Basin states comprise of Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Kogi, Kebbi, Niger and Sokoto. Others are Zamfara, Kwara, Nasarawa, Taraba, Yobe and Plateau states.

“The meeting will fashion out strategies to harness the resources in Sokoto Basin, Chad Basin, Bida Basin and Benue trough whose hydrocarbon contents are yet to be properly developed and estimated”, the statement added.

The statement also conveyed the forum’s support for the ongoing efforts by the Federal Government to explore oil in the sedimentary basin of Northern Nigeria.