President Bola Tinubu has approved the commencement of commercial oil drilling at Tongeji Island in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun said in a statement on Thursday.
The Ogun State governor announced the development, which is expected to put Ogun on the list of Nigeria’s oil-producing one for the first time, while receiving the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Abubakar Mustapha, a rear admiral, during a courtesy visit in Abeokuta, the state capital.
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Tongeji Island is a small island which lies along waterways near the border with the Republic of Benin. According to reports, it is much closer by boat to Port-Novo in Benin Republic than to major Nigerian urban centres, such as Badagry in Lagos State. It is reachable primarily by water and has historically been difficult to access by road from the Nigerian mainland.
The island covers roughly 200 hectares and has a small resident population. As a result of its proximity to Benin Republic, about five minutes by boat from Port-Novo, locals have in the past had to travel across the border for basic services, including healthcare, due to the lack of infrastructure on the island itself.
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Tongeji is notable for being relatively isolated, surrounded by water and mangrove vegetation, and is reputed to hold crude oil deposits that have attracted recent government interest for commercial drilling.
In a post on its X page, the Ogun State Government quoted the governor as saying that the president also approved the immediate kick-off of the long-awaited Olokola Deep Seaport project located in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area.
According to the governor, the seaport project, now renamed the Blue Marine Economic Zone, represents a major breakthrough that would help decongest existing ports in Lagos while unlocking significant economic opportunities for coastal communities in Ogun State and beyond.
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He noted that the federal government has shown strong interest in both projects and that engagements are ongoing to fast-track their implementation.
“Governor @DapoAbiodunCON commended President Tinubu’s strong interest in both projects, disclosed ongoing engagements to fast-track implementation,” the statement read.
Governor Abiodun also commended the Nigerian Navy for upgrading its operational presence at Tongeji Island to a Forward Operations Base, describing the move as critical to strengthening border security and safeguarding emerging economic assets in the area.
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In his remarks, Mr Mustapha reaffirmed Ogun State’s strategic importance to national security, especially given its coastal and border locations.
He pledged continued collaboration between the Nigerian Navy and the Ogun State Government to enhance security and support economic development initiatives.
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