The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Bayo Ojulari, has announced plans to resume oil drilling activities in northern Nigeria. Speaking in an interview with BBC News Hausa on Monday, Ojulari confirmed the revival of the suspended project, which was originally launched over two years ago by former President Muhammadu Buhari along the Bauchi-Gombe border. He assured that the project, which had stalled for unspecified reasons, would now proceed under his leadership. The initial drilling efforts had sparked excitement among northerners hopeful of transforming the region into an oil-producing zone akin to the Niger Delta. Ojulari urged residents to remain calm, stating that the NNPC is set to return and continue the work. “We will continue with the oil drilling in Kolmani and other places. After the oil drilling, we will also ensure that we complete the gas pipeline from Ajaokuta to Kano,” Ojulari said. According to him, these projects will allow previously closed companies to reopen so they can continue operating and open new ones. “This will bring benefits to the region, which will lead to everyone benefiting because wealth will increase. Therefore, we must return and continue this project,” he said. Ojulari explained that resuming the oil drilling projects would enable previously shut-down businesses to reopen and pave the way for new ones to emerge. “This will benefit the region and, by extension, the entire country, as it will lead to increased wealth. That’s why we must return and continue this project,” he stated. It is worth recalling that in November 2022, former President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated a crude oil drilling initiative in the Kolmani area, situated along the Bauchi-Gombe border in northeastern Nigeria—marking the first oil exploration in the northern region. Following that, the NNPCL announced plans to begin crude oil drilling in Nasarawa State, in north-central Nigeria, by March 2023. However, the project has since stalled, with no official explanation, prompting calls from Nigerians for clarity. During the interview, Ojulari, who noted that he is also from the North, expressed surprise at the reaction of some northerners to his appointment. He appealed for their support and prayers, urging both northerners and Nigerians at large to join him in moving the region and the nation forward.