NNPCL to resume Borno oil exploration, pledges action on power plant
- NNPCL says it will restart oil exploration in Borno after a halt, with a solar plant also planned.
- Governor Zulum says security is in place and blames the stoppage on a gas supply cut.
- Zulum also pressed NNPCL over the stalled Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant upgrade.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has pledged to resume oil exploration in Borno State, after work in the basin was suspended. The company also plans a solar power plant in the state.
The commitments came on Wednesday when an NNPCL team led by its board chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, met Governor Babagana Umara Zulum at the Government House in Maiduguri. The talks covered energy development, the exploration work and the delayed upgrade of the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant.
For ordinary residents, the stakes are practical: more electricity, possible jobs and investment in a state still recovering from years of insurgency.
Why exploration stopped
Zulum said the suspension was not caused by insecurity. He said soldiers, police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Civilian Joint Task Force were guarding the sites and equipment. Tribune reported that at least 300 soldiers had been deployed.
Instead, the governor pointed to gas supply. He said the state government was committed to working with NNPCL but urged the company to honour its initial agreement to supply gas for the operations, which he said was later discontinued.
He also raised concern that equipment had sat at the exploration sites for more than two years, and said upgrading it would allow work to continue.
Zulum described the Borno Basin as commercially promising, noting the state shares borders with three countries. Leadership reported that NNPCL had earlier carried out prospecting in Magumeri before halting activities.
Kida said the company was ready to fast-track the resumption and to work with the state government and local communities. He commended the governor for creating a conducive environment for investment and for improved security in the state.
Power plant and unpaid bills
Zulum pressed the NNPCL team over the slow pace of work on the Maiduguri Emergency Power Plant, saying materials had been on site for about two years while the upgrade remained incomplete. He called the plant critical to electricity supply in the state capital and nearby communities.
According to Leadership, the NNPCL delegation also flagged outstanding obligations that could threaten power generation in the North-East. It listed about ₦17.9 billion in gas supply loans, ₦3.8 billion in operational expenses and an additional $600,000, and said a gas supplier had threatened to stop supplies over unpaid bills.
The delegation asked Zulum to help resolve the debts. It also acknowledged a Federal Government support fund approved to sustain electricity supply in the region.
Zulum welcomed the proposed solar project, saying extra solar plants could ease the burden of rising fuel prices on residents and help extend power to rural communities and public facilities.
What happens next: NNPCL has promised to move quickly, but no date has been given for exploration to restart or for the power plant upgrade to be completed. The unpaid gas bills still need to be settled.
