Tinubu Gets Fresh Request From North-East Governors

The North-East Governors’ Forum has urged the Federal Government to resume oil exploration activities in Borno State, particularly in Magumeri and Gubio Local Government Areas, where previous efforts were abandoned.

The governors made the appeal while commending President Bola Tinubu for efforts to revive the Kolmani oil drilling project in Gombe State, Naija News reports.

The demand was contained in a communique issued after the Forum’s 13th regular meeting, which ended at the Borno State Government House in Maiduguri on Saturday.

The two-day meeting, held from October 2 to 3, 2026, brought together governors and senior government officials from Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.

Reading the communique, the Forum’s Vice Chairman and Adamawa State Governor, Umaru Fintiri, called on the Federal Government to revisit oil exploration activities that had earlier commenced in Magumeri and Gubio but were later suspended.

The governors also praised Tinubu for giving renewed attention to major infrastructure projects in the region.

Among the projects highlighted were the Port Harcourt-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Maiduguri rail corridor, the Kolmani oil exploration project and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri highway.

The Forum, which began its activities in March 2020 with its inaugural meeting in Gombe, said regional unity had remained its biggest achievement in the last six years.

According to the governors, working together has given the region a stronger voice and helped push developmental projects.

On electricity, the Forum commended member states for adopting a regional energy plan, particularly the contribution of the Dadinkowa hydropower plant to the national electricity grid.

It also encouraged states to take advantage of the new electricity law and the region’s solar energy potential to develop more mini-grid projects.

The governors further called on the Federal Government to speed up the completion of the Mambila Hydropower Plant following the resolution of legal issues surrounding the project through an arbitration ruling.

To reduce transportation costs and improve economic activities, the Forum disclosed that it had partnered with Green Ville Energy to establish more Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) stations across the region.

The governors also acknowledged the Federal Government and the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for providing 10,000 electric tricycles, 10 electric buses and 300 electric taxis, which are expected to be launched in October.

They also announced plans to establish a regional air shuttle service to make the movement of people and goods easier across the North-East.

Governors Speak On Insecurity, Education

On security, the Forum acknowledged progress made by security agencies in the fight against insurgency and praised the sacrifices of members of the Armed Forces.

However, it noted that the region still faced serious humanitarian and infrastructure challenges.

The governors promised to strengthen intelligence sharing and cooperation among states while addressing the economic and social problems that make young people vulnerable to recruitment by extremist groups.

They also identified education, vocational training, entrepreneurship and technology-based employment as key areas that must receive attention because of the region’s large youth population.

The Forum called on the NEDC to increase its investment in education, release long-awaited scholarship awards for students from poor backgrounds, reduce the number of out-of-school children and support Tsangaya education.

On environmental protection, the governors agreed to work with the Institute of Forest Research to train local forest experts and tackle deforestation across the region.

The Forum disclosed that its next meeting would take place in Gombe State on December 18 and 19, 2026.