Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has approved the issuance of key regulatory licences for the Kolmani Integrated Development Project, a major oil exploration initiative located between the northern states of Bauchi and Gombe.

The approval was announced by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, during the commissioning of the permanent site of the Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy in Alkaleri, The Punch reported.

The licences aim to support the renewed development of the Kolmani oil field, which was first inaugurated in November 2022 as Nigeria’s first significant oil discovery in the northern region.

Lokpobiri said the approvals are part of the federal government’s broader strategy to boost crude oil output by reactivating dormant assets.

“The imperative to activate all available oil platforms for increased production led President Bola Tinubu to grant approvals for the issuance of all critical regulatory licences for the Kolmani Integrated Development Projects,” he is quoted as saying.

The Kolmani Integrated Development Project encompasses oil drilling, gas processing, a fertiliser plant, and a power generation facility. It is expected to attract investment and stimulate economic activity in the North East, with the potential to create jobs and support local industrial development.

Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) group CEO Bayo Ojulari confirmed that drilling operations at the Kolmani field would resume shortly.

“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,” he is quoted by The Punch as saying.