The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has moved swiftly to debunk circulating media reports claiming that disputed crude oil and gas wells have been allocated to specific oil-producing states, declaring that no such recommendations have been finalized.
In a strongly-worded statement released Sunday, RMAFC Chairman Dr. Mohammed Shehu dismissed as “misleading, premature, and unrepresentative” a purported report allegedly from the Inter-Agency Committee on the Verification of Coordinates of Disputed Crude Oil and Gas Wells between States. The document, which has been making rounds in sections of the national media, falsely suggested that decisions had already been reached on reassigning certain oil wells.
“At this stage, there is no finalized recommendation or decision regarding the ceding or reallocation of any oil wells, as due institutional processes are still ongoing,” the commission stated categorically.
The commission revealed it only received a draft report from the inter-agency committee on Friday, February 13, 2026, just two days before issuing its clarification. Following established protocol, RMAFC has transmitted the preliminary document to key technical stakeholders for thorough evaluation.
These stakeholders include the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the National Boundary Commission, and the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation, all of which are expected to provide detailed reviews, observations, and technical input before any conclusions can be drawn.
The commission outlined a multi-layered review process that must be completed before any recommendations reach the presidency. After receiving feedback from the technical agencies, the matter will undergo scrutiny by two internal RMAFC committees: the Committee on Crude Oil, Gas, and Investment and the Legal Matters Committee. These bodies will conduct comprehensive technical and legal assessments before presenting findings to the commission’s Plenary Session.
Only after plenary deliberations will a final report be transmitted to the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation for consideration and action in accordance with constitutional provisions and applicable laws.
Given this clearly defined institutional framework, RMAFC described the circulating report as “speculative, inaccurate, and capable of misleading the public.” The commission called on citizens, stakeholders, and media organizations to disregard the unauthorized document and await official communication once the statutory review process concludes.
The statement underscored RMAFC’s commitment to “transparency, due process, and the objective discharge of its constitutional mandate in the national interest.”
The dispute over oil well ownership carries significant financial implications for Nigeria’s oil-producing states, as revenue allocation formulas depend heavily on derivation principles tied to where resources are extracted.
Just weeks earlier, in January 2026, Dr. Shehu had urged full cooperation from oil-producing states in the coordinated verification exercise, which ran from January 26 to 30, 2026. At the flag-off ceremony in Abuja, he emphasized that active state participation was essential to ensuring the exercise’s legitimacy and acceptance.
“I urge the representatives of the affected oil-producing states to actively participate while plotting the verified coordinates so that the outcome will be acceptable to all,” Shehu had said, while assuring stakeholders of the commission’s impartiality throughout the process.
The premature circulation of unverified recommendations threatens to undermine this carefully managed process and could inflame tensions among competing states before due process runs its course. RMAFC’s firm denial suggests it is determined to maintain control over the narrative and ensure institutional integrity as the sensitive exercise moves forward.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission has firmly denied media reports claiming disputed oil wells have been allocated to specific states. No final decision has been made; the commission only received a draft report on February 13, 2026, and it must still undergo multiple layers of technical review, legal scrutiny, and plenary deliberation before any recommendations reach the President.
The public should disregard circulating reports and await official communication once the proper institutional process is complete. The process is far from over, and any claims otherwise are premature and misleading.
