28 July 2013, Minna — Niger State government has presented a report to the federal government detailing the existence of oil and gas deposits in commercial quantity in the Bida Basin.
The Niger State Commissioner for Mining and Mineral Resources Abdulkhadir Baba Jibrin announced this yesterday after the state executive council meeting at the Governmentt House, Minna.
He said the letter accompanying the report was personally signed by governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu.
He added that the Presidency acknowledged receipt of the report in a letter received in Minna yesterday.
Alhaji Abdulkhadir said his ministry had earlier written to the Ministry of Petroleum Resources about the discovery of oil and gas in the state.
But they responded that they require the acknowledgement of the Presidency before intervening in the matter.
“We have sent a copy of the findings of our research to both the President and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Ministry asked for acknowledgement from the presidency, we received the acknowledgement this morning,” he said.
The commissioner said state government two years ago commissioned some experts from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai to explore the Bida basin for hydrocarbon deposits.
The research into oil deposits in Bida Basin is different from that of the Chad basin which was carried out by the federal government.
He added the research in the Chad Basin was delayed because Borno state government had no input in the exploration.
Alhaji Abdulkhadir, who did not disclose two companies for both upstream and downstream sectors had been set up.
*Aliyu M. Hamagam, Daily Trust
