Cross River State is projected to regain its status as an oil-producing state for the first time since 2008 following the submission of a final report by a Federal Government Inter-Agency Technical Committee to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) received the report on Friday, February 13, 2026, after a verification exercise that ran from August 2025 to February 2026.
The exercise involved nationwide verification of crude oil and gas coordinates to determine the precise location of hydrocarbon assets in Nigeria’s onshore and offshore boundaries.
Under Nigeria’s fiscal federalism framework, oil-producing states are eligible for 13 per cent derivation revenue from mineral and hydrocarbon production.
Cross River last held oil-producing status in 2008 before its removal under previous boundary and legal interpretations.
The Inter-Agency Technical Committee presented the final report to RMAFC Chairman M. B. Shehu, which is based on extensive field verification, technical reconciliation of state submissions, and plotting of oil and gas coordinates.
The exercise verified more than 1,000 crude oil and gas reservoir coordinates across 12 states, including Cross River.
Technical projections in the report indicate that Cross River State has more than 100 producing oil wells from verified onshore and offshore reservoir data, particularly from OML 114 within its maritime territory, placing the state in a strong position to be re-listed as oil-producing.
Although Cross River submitted the highest number of surface coordinates (over 245), a 2012 Supreme Court judgment is expected to retain 76 oil wells in Akwa Ibom State pending further legal interpretation.
Even with these deductions, technical evidence in the report supports Cross River’s producing status.
The RMAFC Chairman is expected to forward the committee’s report to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for presidential assent. Upon approval, the RMAFC Board of Commissioners will convene to formalise the implementation framework and update the official list of oil-producing states.
If formally re-listed, Cross River State would become eligible again for derivation revenue linked to hydrocarbon production, which could affect allocations from Federation Accounts in future fiscal periods.
Re-classification as an oil-producing state may also influence planning and investment strategies within the state, particularly regarding infrastructure development and local content considerations related to oil and gas activities.
Confirmed verification of reservoir coordinates and boundary reconciliations may reduce longstanding disputes over oil well attribution among affected states, though legal interpretation of certain wells remains pending.
