President Muhammadu Buhari is set to flag-off the Kolmani Integrated Development Project, heralding the first ever oil drilling endeavour in the northern Kolmani River II Oil Field located at a border community between Bauchi and Gombe States.

Mr Buhari will perform the official ground-breaking ceremony of the Oil Prospecting Lease (OPLs) 809 and 810 at the Kolmani River II Well on Tuesday.

Security has been beefed up around the area pending the visit by the president.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, in October 2019, announced the discovery of crude oil, gas and condensate in the Kolmani River.

The commercial quantity discovery was the first in the region after several crude oil explorations on the Upper Benue Trough.

The oilfield will be developed by Sterling Global Oil, New Nigeria Development Commission (NNDC) and NNPC Ltd.

The historical event would signal oil drilling and exploration in the oil field discovered in 2019 in the northern region.

Many officials of Nigerian security agencies, including the State Security Service, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force and Navy, and the Nigerian Police, are deployed at the site.

Some para-military agencies, including the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Federal Fire Service, are also on ground.

The officials of the NNPC Ltd, members of the cabinet and some medical teams with their equipment are also seen at the site.

The president is expected to be accompanied by the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, Bauchi and Gombe States governors, Bala Mohammed and Inuwa Yahaya, and other top government functionaries. 

(NAN)