THE LONG AND SUSTAINED JOURNEY TO CROSS RIVER’S REINSTATEMENT AS AN OIL-PRODUCING STATE
By Maurice Ekong
The submission of the Federal Government’s Inter-Agency Committee report to the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), listing Cross River State once again as an oil-producing state, is a development of profound and historical significance.
For many, it is a welcome and long overdue announcement. For me, it is a deeply personal moment of fulfilment, accomplishment and immense joy. Not merely because of the announcement itself, but because it affirms a position I have consistently advanced for over a decade.
My engagement with this matter began in 2016 while serving as Special Adviser on Oil and Gas to the Governor of Cross River State. At that time, I took a firm position that the restoration of oil-producing status would not be achieved through rhetoric, but through disciplined technical engagement grounded in geospatial coordinates, regulatory precision, and statutory interpretation.
After leaving office, my commitment to that pathway did not end. I set up an NGO - The Host Community Rights Advocate (HCRA), to pursue my convictions through structured representations and policy writings to relevant federal institutions, including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the National Assembly, consistently advocating for the reinstatement of oil producing status to Cross River State.
One focal area of my advocacy over the years has been the OML 114 acreage. I am therefore particularly gratified that verified coordinates within and around OML 114 have reportedly yielded a substantial number of wells contributing to Cross River’s reinstatement. If the geospatial materials and coordinate I submitted in my petition to NUPRC and other private engagements over the years contributed in any measure to this outcome, that contribution is sufficient satisfaction.
I must commend His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Prince Bassey Otu, for his commitment in engaging with federal authorities before and during this verification process. It must be pointed out that, achievements of this magnitude are cumulative; they are built over years of layered efforts by public officials, technical experts, institutions, and concerned citizens. Emphasis was rightly placed on technical validation rather than political optics.
It must be stated candidly that, had this same objective approach, devoid of personal interest been adopted consistently by the administration under which I first advanced this pathway, Cross River would likely have regained its oil-producing status much earlier.
It is necessary at this point to bring to our attention the fact that, reinstatement of our oil producing status, is not a "destination". It is should rather be seen as just the gateway to greater heights. This is because, the reinstated oil-producing status introduces Cross River into a more complex phase of fiscal governance defined by competitive inter-state revenue dynamics, federal regulatory leverage, and internal allocation pressures.
Reinstatement affirms that data, persistence, and institutional process can correct structural imbalances. But long-term success depends on sustained competence.
Cross River must now distinguish itself not merely as an oil-producing state, but as a technically prepared and strategically managed one.
History will document and remember the announcement. The future however, will be determined by how effectively this status is stewarded.
I join all Cross Rivererians in celebrating this long overdue return back to the league of oil producing states in Nigeria.
Maurice Ekong, PhD, is an Oil & Gas Expert and Policy Analyst. He was also a Former Special Adviser on Oil & Gas, Cross River State.
