Key Points

• Oil drilling in northern Nigeria will resume in June 2025.

• NNPC has resolved its disagreement with the Dangote refinery.

• The Kolmani field and AKK pipeline are vital economic projects.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) will restart oil drilling operations in northern Nigeria by June 2025.

Group Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari announced the development during a BBC Hausa Service interview on Monday.

The renewed drilling efforts will focus on the Kolmani oil field, located on the boundary of Bauchi and Gombe states.

Ojulari emphasized that the project, along with the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, remains critical to the nation’s energy infrastructure.

“We will start work again in the Kolmani field and continue the AKK gas pipeline. These projects are crucial to boosting the economy and will benefit all Nigerians,” he said.

The Kolmani oil discovery, made public in 2019, marked the first commercial oil find in the North.

In 2022, the government officially launched drilling activities in the area, backed by over $3 billion in private sector investment.

Kolmani oil field and AKK pipeline seen as economic game-changers

Oil drilling in northern Nigeria has the potential to significantly change the country’s economic landscape.

According to NNPC, the Kolmani field holds over a billion barrels of oil and 500 billion cubic feet of gas.

The project is expected to generate employment, attract foreign investment, and increase government revenue.

The AKK gas pipeline, stretching 614 kilometers from Ajaokuta to Kano, is another strategic infrastructure initiative.

With key stops in Abuja, Kaduna, and Zaria, the project aims to transport natural gas across northern states to spur industrial development.

Ojulari assured that both local and foreign companies are welcome to participate in the ongoing projects, as they are crucial to national energy security and regional growth.

NNPC and Dangote refinery settle differences for national interest

Amid past tensions between NNPC and the Dangote refinery, Ojulari confirmed that the two parties have reconciled.

“We have resolved the feud. There will be no more talk of NNPC and Dangote fighting,” he said.

Ojulari praised Aliko Dangote’s investment in Africa and pledged continued collaboration.

He noted that marketers will soon be able to buy fuel from the Dangote refinery without barriers. “We are cooperating, and better days are ahead,” he added.

The renewed relationship is expected to enhance fuel distribution, stabilize supply chains, and contribute to Nigeria’s broader energy goals.