The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has inaugurated a reconstituted Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) to verify disputed and newly drilled oil and gas wells in Nigeria from 2017 to date.
The move is aimed at strengthening fiscal transparency and equitable revenue sharing.
The inauguration took place on Wednesday at the Commission’s new Boardroom in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of RMAFC, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, said the exercise is in line with the Commission’s constitutional mandate to monitor accruals to and disbursement of revenue from the Federation Account, particularly the equitable distribution of the 13 per cent Derivation Fund to oil and gas-producing states.
Dr. Shehu disclosed that the Commission discarded the previous draft verification report following several claims, counterclaims and complaints from various states.
In a statement by Maryam Umar Yusuf, Head Information and Public Relations Unit, he said the concerns centred largely on the need to re-verify the coordinates of disputed and newly drilled wells and to accurately plot them on approved maps.
“The reconstituted IATC is expected to ensure that every verified coordinate, map utilised and boundary evaluated reflects the actual situation on ground,” he said.
He directed the Committee to consider relevant court decisions, rely strictly on approved maps and undertake physical field verification of affected wells where necessary.
To ensure efficiency and accountability, the Chairman said a two-tier governance structure has been established.
The first tier — made up of technical officers and experts from RMAFC, Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGoF), National Boundary Commission (NBC) and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) — will undertake ground-level verification, field inspections, technical analysis and initial report drafting.
The second tier is the Executive Committee led by the leadership of RMAFC, which will provide strategic direction, ensure inter-agency coordination and oversee final approvals before formal ratification.
Dr. Shehu said the Commission will provide institutional support, including engagement with security authorities for clearances and tactical coverage during field operations in complex and coastal environments.
He added that Surveyors-General from affected states and representatives of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) will participate as observers to promote transparency.
He urged members to approach the assignment with integrity, objectivity and patriotism, stressing that the goal is clarity, fairness, stability and lasting resolution of disputes.
Earlier, Secretary of the Commission, Comrade Tosin Adeyanju, thanked members and urged them to put national interest first, calling for objectivity, fairness and diligence, noting that the work would face greater scrutiny in view of lessons from previous exercises.
The inauguration was attended by the Chairman of the Crude Oil Monitoring Committee and Federal Commissioner representing Kano State, Hon. Adamu Abdu Fanda, and Federal Commissioners representing Osun, Edo, Yobe, Taraba, Zamfara, Jigawa and Ogun States, alongside representatives of relevant agencies.