12/08/2026
Cross River Oil Wells: Why Are Government Agents Deliberately Misleading Cross Riverians?
It is simply not true that Cross River Stateโs oil-producing status has been restored.
Why the deliberate misinformation?
Yes, there is a strong possibility that onshore oil wells will soon be discovered in Cross River State, but it is not yet Uhuru.
On 21 July, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) met and awarded some companies oil exploration licences for the Calabar Flank โ an area that, until now, had not been explored for oil. The companies include Saratoga (PPL 2A45), Clinton Oil Field (PPL 2A62) and Nikstallis (PPL 2A61) (see: https://www.nuprc.gov.ng/media/news/1c9e412bc0b7705cdcaf144e). These licences are for exploration, meaning the companies are only being given permission to search for oil.
The companies are yet to complete the necessary processes, let alone mobilise to site and begin exploration. Yet, some government appointees have chosen to give Cross Riverians the impression that the stateโs oil-producing status has already been restored.
For the avoidance of doubt, Cross River State has not yet been officially relisted as an oil-producing state. The information currently circulating online is therefore misleading.
The Bassey Otu administration deserves commendation for its efforts to correct the injustice that has been meted out to Cross River State. However, that should not be a reason to misinform the public, particularly on an issue as sensitive and important as this.
We should celebrate the progress that has been made, but we must also be honest about where things currently stand.
We all await the Federal Governmentโs approval for the relisting of Cross River State as an oil-producing state, based on the report of the inter-agency committee set up by the Federal Government on offshore oil wells. Until that happens, government officials should stop misinforming the general public.
Presenting exploration licences as though they amount to oil production and the relisting of the state as an oil-producing state only paints Cross River State in a bad light.
~ Obio Monday
12/08/2026
