In a major push to unlock Nigeria’s dormant oil potential in the North, President Bola Tinubu has approved all critical regulatory licences for the Kolmani Integrated Development Project—an ambitious multibillion-dollar oil and gas initiative straddling Bauchi and Gombe States.
This landmark approval was announced by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, during the flag-off of the permanent site of the Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy in Alkaleri Local Government Area over the weekend.
According to a statement released by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Nneamaka Okafor, the presidential approval is a bold step in the administration’s ongoing efforts to ramp up crude oil production and unlock alternative hydrocarbon resources beyond the Niger Delta.
“The imperative to activate all available oil platforms for increased production led President Tinubu to grant approvals for the issuance of all critical regulatory licences for the Kolmani Integrated Development Projects,” Lokpobiri said.
The Kolmani project, first inaugurated in November 2022, marked the start of Nigeria’s oil drilling efforts in the North. Situated in the Kolmani River II field, a border region between Bauchi and Gombe States, the field is believed to hold over one billion barrels of crude oil and vast natural gas deposits.
Lokpobiri emphasised that the President is determined to transform Nigeria’s energy landscape by expanding oil production zones and improving local content capacity in the petroleum sector.
“Mr President is intentional about transforming our energy landscape into one that fuels industrial growth, creates jobs, and enhances national revenue,” the minister stated.
He also praised the Bauchi State Government for collaborating with the Federal Government in its energy policy direction, citing the establishment of the Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy as a strategic investment in building technical capacity for future energy projects.
“With this academy, Bauchi is making a strategic contribution to the development of the human capital needed to drive our sector forward,” he said.
Lokpobiri lauded the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) for its long-standing role in training manpower for the oil and gas industry. He expressed optimism that the new academy would work closely with PTDF to sustain the talent pipeline necessary for sustainable growth in the petroleum sector.
“PTDF has played a critical role in ensuring that our sector is not just productive but also future-ready,” he noted.
On his part, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed welcomed the Federal Government’s support and reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to ensure the success of the oil academy and the Kolmani development project.
“This institution will serve as a foundation for skill acquisition and innovation that will benefit not just Bauchi State but the entire nation,” the governor said.
In a related development, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) last week announced plans to resume oil drilling operations in Kolmani.
Speaking on behalf of the company, Group Executive Vice President of Upstream, Bayo Ojulari, stated that the recommencement of drilling is expected to attract investment and trigger economic activities in the region.
“These projects will allow previously closed companies to reopen and new ones to start. This will bring immense benefits to the region and the nation at large,” Ojulari said.
He further disclosed that the Federal Government is also moving ahead with completing the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, which is projected to transport gas to northern industrial hubs, fuelling factories and powering electricity plants.
“We will continue with the oil drilling in Kolmani and other places. After the oil drilling, we will also ensure that we complete the gas pipeline from Ajaokuta to Kano,” Ojulari added.
The renewed focus on oil development in the North represents a broader diversification strategy by the Tinubu administration, which seeks to stabilise national revenue, reduce dependency on southern crude fields, and foster inclusive development.
Analysts view the Kolmani project as a potential game-changer for Northern Nigeria, a region long excluded from major upstream oil activities. By unlocking local oil and gas resources, the project could catalyse industrial parks, petrochemical ventures, and job creation in a region grappling with unemployment and infrastructural deficits.
With critical regulatory approvals now secured and state and federal synergy in place, the Kolmani field is poised to become a focal point in Nigeria’s evolving energy narrative.