FG targets 2m barrels of oil per day with exploration of Kolmani Oil
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil and Gas), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has announced that the Federal Government is working towards achieving a crude oil production target of two million barrels per day. This goal, he said, is driving renewed efforts in oil and gas exploration across the country.
Lokpobiri made the remarks on Saturday in Alkaleri, Bauchi State, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy in Alkaleri Local Government Area.
He described the academy as a vital institution for developing the skilled workforce required to support exploration and production activities, particularly at the Kolmani Basin. He noted that the Federal Government remains firmly committed to ongoing exploration efforts in the region.
According to the minister, prior to the current administration, Nigeria was producing less than one million barrels of crude oil daily. The renewed focus on projects like Kolmani, he said, is part of the strategy to raise output and help the country meet its production targets.
Lokpobiri also reaffirmed the Federal Government’s support for the Bauchi State Government’s economic development plans, which aim to contribute to national stability and growth through oil and gas initiatives.
He encouraged the state to collaborate with the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), which provides scholarships to students pursuing education in the oil and gas sector.
In his address at the event, Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, said the occasion marked a key moment in his administration’s drive to strengthen vocational education and empower youth and women in the oil and gas industry.
While welcoming the Federal Government’s continued interest in the Kolmani oil fields, the governor revealed that part of the funds allocated to the state had been used to begin construction of the academy.
Governor Mohammed also pledged his administration’s support for federal initiatives and its readiness to contribute to national revenues. He stated that the state had already implemented several measures to ensure the academy fulfils its mission, even as it operates from a temporary location.
To assist with the institution’s successful launch, the governor directed each of Bauchi’s local government areas to sponsor ten students. Additionally, the state government will subsidise 50 percent of tuition costs for all students enrolled in the academy.
Providing further background, the state’s Commissioner for Natural Resources Development, Maiwada Bello, said the Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy was approved in 2020 and has since admitted more than 500 students. Academic activities began at a temporary site within Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, a state-owned institution.
A total of ¦ 6 billion has been earmarked for the construction of the academy’s permanent site in Alkaleri.
