AIyedatiwa
Iyunade Grace
Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to reactivate an oil field in the state that has been inactive since 1998. The move is part of a broader strategy to boost crude oil production, strengthen Ondo’s position among Nigeria’s oil-producing states, and contribute to the Federal Government’s target of raising national output to 2 million barrels per day.
The governor made the pledge on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, during a meeting with executives of Sahara Energy Group in Akure. Discussions focused on bringing the stranded asset back into operation through technical assessments, integrity tests, and investment planning. Kola Adesina, speaking for Sahara Energy, described the field as having “significant untapped potential” and said the ongoing studies will provide data needed to chart a path toward restoring production.
Aiyedatiwa stressed that reviving the field would require addressing infrastructure deficiencies, curbing operational leakages, modernizing obsolete equipment, and deploying digital technologies for efficiency and transparency. He recalled a past fire incident at the same well when he served with the NDDC, noting conflicting claims that there was “no oil” at the site despite flames emerging: “How can you place me on fire? Is it water that is bringing out the fire?”. For him, the episode exposed gaps in operational information management that must be fixed.
Ondo is currently ranked number 5 among oil-producing states in the NDDC’s “big four” framework. The governor said increased activity and stronger operational systems could improve that standing. He assured investors of a peaceful, business-friendly environment and pointed to ongoing dredging projects and other interventions aimed at improving access to oil-producing communities and production sites.
The state’s push aligns with national policy. The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) is driving “Project One Million Barrels,” which aims to ramp up production to 2.5 million bpd by 2026 by reactivating dormant fields, fast-tracking approvals, and enhancing efficiencies. The NUPRC approved about 500 permits for reopening idle wells in 2024 alone, and now grants reactivation approvals within hours instead of weeks.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Heineken Lokpobiri has urged operators to prioritize re-entry programs and in-field well development as quicker alternatives to new drilling. He noted that “there are too many idle wells” and that the President expects immediate production gains, with the 2025 budget already premised on 2.06 million bpd. Nigeria averaged only 1.34 million bpd during the 2022 price surge, well below capacity.
For Ondo, the dormant field represents both economic opportunity and a test of execution. Sahara Energy and the state government agreed that increased investment, technological innovation, and strong collaboration are essential to unlock the asset’s value and deliver benefits to host communities. If successful, the revival would not only raise state revenue but also support Nigeria’s wider energy security goals amid volatile global oil markets and the recent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The next steps involve completing integrity assessments, finalizing investment decisions, and mobilizing workover rigs and digital monitoring systems. Governor Aiyedatiwa said the state is “ready to support operators and host communities” to ensure the field’s long-delayed return to production.
