The Kogi State Government has initiated strategic efforts to attract investments for the exploration and development of its oil and gas resources.
This development followed a high-level meeting held earlier this week in Abuja between Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe.
The meeting, which took place at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources headquarters, focused on leveraging the Frontier Exploration Fund—managed by the NUPRC—to drive exploration activities in the state’s hydrocarbon-rich zones.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Ismaila Isah, Governor Ododo reaffirmed Kogi State’s readiness to collaborate with relevant federal agencies and stakeholders to unlock the state’s natural resource potential and stimulate economic growth.
The governor highlighted steps already taken by his administration, including the enactment of the law establishing the Kogi State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (KOPADEC), as well as ongoing engagements with federal agencies and private sector partners. These efforts, he said, are aimed at ensuring transparency, inclusivity, and investor confidence in the state’s oil and gas sector.
Governor Ododo, during a previous visit to the Minister in October 2024, had pledged to provide a conducive environment for investors and assured full state cooperation with the federal government’s energy development agenda.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Lokpobiri reaffirmed Kogi’s status as an oil-producing state and reiterated the federal government’s commitment to mobilizing investment for oil and gas development in the state.
Under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the NUPRC is mandated to explore Nigeria’s frontier basins and deploy resources to unlock new oil discoveries, particularly in underexplored regions.
Kogi State became Nigeria’s first oil-producing state in the North following the federal government’s confirmation of oil discovery in commercial quantities in 2022.
