By Vivian Okejeme, Abuja
A coalition of Civil Society Organizations is calling on President Bola Tinubu to review the 2024 and 2025 Inter-Agency Committee Reports on oil well verification and derivation allocation, citing concerns over the impact on Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
The group, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations, maritime experts, technical mapping professionals, and public policy analysts, gave the directive in a communiqué it issued on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
It urged the president to direct the proper demarcation of the Nigeria-Cameroon maritime boundary within the Cross River maritime corridor in accordance with the 2002 ICJ judgment map.
This is following the coalition’s verification and fact-finding mission to Nigeria’s offshore maritime boundary areas involving Nigeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea, including offshore hydrocarbon blocks OML 114, OML 115, and OML 123.
The verification exercise was conducted on February 28, 2026, during which the delegation undertook physical observation of the maritime corridor, technical mapping verification, examination of relevant international legal instruments, and consultations with maritime governance stakeholders.
The group stated that the objective of the mission was to independently verify Nigeria’s maritime boundaries, offshore hydrocarbon entitlements, and the implications of administrative and regulatory decisions affecting the Cross River maritime corridor.
The coalition in the statement said that at the conclusion of the mission, it unanimously resolved
and confirmed the following findings.
“The 2002 Judgment of the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) between Nigeria and Cameroon only ceded the southern Bakassi Peninsula settlements of Atabong, Akwabana and Archibong Town, extending from the Akwayefe River Estuary up to Rio del Rey, to the Republic of Cameroon, as reflected on the official ICJ judgment map and confirmed through physical verification during the mission.
“The Cross River Estuary and the western Bakassi peninsular islands of Dayspring I and II, Abana and Kwa Island were not ceded under the ICJ judgment. Nigeria therefore continues to maintain maritime boundary continuity between the Cross River Estuary and the Akwayefe River Estuary, consistent with both the ICJ
cartographic evidence and the physical geography of the
region.
“The Cross River Estuary was not extinguished nor nullified by the ICJ judgment. The estuary remains Nigeria’s natural mouth of the sea and gateway to Nigerian internal waters, thereby providing Cross River State with direct littoral offshore access to
the Atlantic Ocean.
“The Green Tree Agreement of 2006, signed as part of the peaceful implementation of the ICJ ruling, did not cede any additional Nigerian territory to Cameroon beyond the ICJ judgment. Rather,
the Agreement serves primarily as a humanitarian, administrative and governance framework regulating the orderly transition of authority and safeguarding the rights and welfare of affected communities.
“The political solution negotiated in 2006 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, following the handover of Bakassi and the signing of the Green Tree Agreement, which allocated 76 oil wells to Cross
River State and 14 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State, remains
a recognized administrative framework within Nigeria’s oil derivation arrangements.
“The decision of the National Boundary Commission (NBC) in
2008 to implement the Offshore/Onshore Dichotomy Abrogation Act using a temporary implementation map, while drawing a
baseline from Tom Shot into the Cross River Estuary and effectively closing the mouth of the sea, thereby rendering Cross River State non-littoral, raises serious constitutional, economic and national
security concerns.”
The statement also stated: “The failure of the National Boundary Commission for over twentyfour years to demarcate the Nigeria–Cameroon international
maritime boundary following the ICJ judgment, while continuing to rely on a temporary oil dichotomy implementation map as though it were a maritime boundary instrument, constitutes a major governance, sovereignty and national security risk.
“Continued reliance on the 2008 NBC temporary oil dichotomy implementation map has effectively resulted in the ceding of approximately 780 hectares of maritime body of water within the Cross River Estuary extending toward the mouth of the Akwayefe
River Estuary to Cameroon, as revealed by the Technical Mapping Exercise and the Inter-Agency Committee Report of 2025.
“The decision of the Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. M. B. Shehu, to refer the Inter-Agency Committee findings regarding the 780 hectares of maritime waters to the National Boundary
Commission and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, institutions that have yet to demarcate the boundary after more than two decades, raises serious governance, accountability and national security concerns.
“The failure of the National Boundary Commission (NBC), the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) to urgently brief the President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria on the findings of the 2025 Inter-Agency Committee Report undermines Nigeria’s capacity to recover the 780 hectares of maritime waters within the Cross River Estuary.
“The failure to present these findings to the President also prevents
Nigeria from exploring 49 identified transboundary and reservoir continuity oil wells located within OML 114 in the Cross River Estuary, and from negotiating continental shelf cooperation or reservoir unitization agreements with Cameroon, similar to the Nigeria–Equatorial Guinea agreement negotiated in 2000 over the Ekanga and Zafiro fields, valued at over $23 billion with production estimated at approximately 150,000 barrels per day.
“The alleged collaboration between NBC, RMAFC and OSGOF resulting in the unilateral approval of over ₦33 billion from the
Federation Account to Akwa Ibom State as sole beneficiary of the Ekanga and Zafiro transboundary reservoir wells with Equatorial Guinea, without clear presidential authorization, raises serious
financial, legal and constitutional accountability concerns.”
The coalition stated that evidence suggests the Ekanga and Zafiro fields lie beyond the 200-metre isobath, outside Akwa Ibom State’s maritime access.
The statement further reads: “The failure of NBC, OSGOF and RMAFC to provide evidence to the
President confirming that revenues from the jointly developed Ekanga and Zafiro fields between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea — estimated at over $8 billion — have been remitted into the
Federation Account requires immediate investigation.
“The failure of the Inter-Agency Committee comprising NBC, OSGOF and RMAFC to submit the 2024 Oil Verification Report, which confirmed 67 oil wells within Cross River State and 18 oil wells within Akwa Ibom State, to the President prior to the disbursement of derivation funds represents a serious breach of constitutional financial governance procedures.
“The same Inter-Agency Committee has also failed to submit its December 2025 report, which allocated 119 oil wells derivation to Cross River State and 119 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State, for
presidential approval and implementation.
“Reports indicate that derivation funds are being disbursed based on these allocations without presidential authorization, raising grave concerns about financial transparency, institutional accountability and compliance with due process.”
In view of the foregoing findings, the coalition recommends that President Tinubu establish a Presidential Special Investigation Panel to examine the circumstances surrounding the loss of approximately 780 hectares of Nigerian maritime waters within the Cross River Estuary.
It further recommends immediate forensic audit of all revenues and derivation payments relating to the Ekanga and Zafiro transboundary oil fields.
It equally recommends: “Investigation into the alleged unilateral approval of N33 billion in payments from the Federation Account without Presidential
authorization.
“Urgent diplomatic engagement with Cameroon for the negotiation of transboundary reservoir development agreements for the 49 identified reservoir continuity wells within
OML 114.
“Restoration and recognition of Cross River State’s littoral status based on the geographic and legal status of the Cross River Estuary as Nigeria’s natural maritime gateway to the Atlantic Ocean.
“A comprehensive national maritime boundary and offshore resource governance review involving all relevant institutions.”
The coalition emphasizes that the issues identified during this verification mission have significant implications for Nigeria’s territorial integrity, maritime sovereignty, national security, and oil revenue accountability.
It therefore, urged the president to treat the findings as a matter of urgent national importance requiring immediate executive attention.
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