The North-East Governors’ Forum has appealed to the Federal Government to restart stalled petroleum exploration activities in Borno State, while simultaneously praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reviving the Kolmani oil drilling project in Gombe State.
The appeal was part of a communiqué issued at the conclusion of the 13th regular meeting of the NEGF, held at the Borno Government House in Maiduguri, on Saturday.
The two-day summit, which ran from October 2 to October 3, 2026, brought together governors and top officials from the six North-Eastern states—Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe—to deliberate on regional security, economic integration, and infrastructure.
Reading the communiqué, the Forum’s Vice Chairman and Governor of Adamawa State, Rt. Hon. Umaru Fintiri, urged the Federal Government to revisit petroleum exploration activities that had earlier commenced but subsequently stalled in the Magumeri and Gubio Local Government Areas of Borno State.
The governors expressed deep appreciation to President Tinubu for renewed federal attention on key regional infrastructure projects.
These include the Port Harcourt–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Maiduguri rail corridor, frontier oil exploration at Kolmani, and the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri highway.
Reflecting on its six-year journey since its inaugural meeting in Gombe in March 2020, the Forum touted regional unity as its most significant achievement, enabling a collective voice that has driven tangible developmental results.
On energy, the governors praised member states for shifting toward a regional energy agenda, highlighting the Dadinkowa hydropower plant, which now feeds the national grid, and encouraged states to leverage the new electricity law and abundant solar resources to expand mini-grid solutions.
Also, the Forum reiterated its call on the Federal Government to expedite the completion of the long-neglected Mambila Hydropower Plant, following the recent clearance of legal encumbrances through an arbitration ruling.
To ease transportation costs and stimulate economic activities, the Forum announced a partnership with Green Ville Energy to establish more Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) stations across the region.
The forum also acknowledged the Federal Government and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for providing 10,000 electric tricycles, 10 electric buses, and 300 electric taxis set to launch in October, alongside plans to float a North-East regional air shuttle service to facilitate faster movement of people and goods.
While acknowledging appreciable successes in the ongoing fight against insurgency—and praising the sacrifices of the Armed Forces—the Forum noted that the subregion still faces daunting humanitarian and infrastructural hurdles.
The governors reaffirmed their commitment to intelligence sharing, inter-state security cooperation, and addressing the root socio-economic drivers of youth exploitation by extremist elements.
Recognizing that the North-East holds one of the youngest populations in the country, the Forum pledged to prioritize quality education, vocational and entrepreneurial training, and technology-driven employment for youth.
The governors also called on the NEDC to ramp up investments in education, expedite long-awaited scholarship awards for indigent students, reduce the number of out-of-school children, and support Tsangaya education.
To combat environmental degradation, the region agreed to partner with the Institute of Forest Research to train local forest experts and counter deforestation.
The Forum announced that its next meeting will be held on December 18–19, 2026, in Gombe State.
What You Should Know
The North-East Governors’ Forum recently held a two-day meeting in Maiduguri where they discussed regional growth, security, and infrastructure. A major highlight of their discussions was the call for the federal government to resume oil exploration in Borno State’s Magumeri and Gubio local government areas, following successful steps taken at the Kolmani project in Gombe.
- Positive Impact: The push for oil exploration, alongside plans for transport upgrades like CNG and LNG stations, electric vehicles, and regional air shuttles, can create new jobs, boost economic activities, and ease transportation costs for residents.
- Potential Concerns: Despite these developmental plans, the subregion still grapples with significant security, infrastructure, and humanitarian challenges that could affect the timeline and success of these initiatives.
