Tambuwal seeks partners, foreign funds on oil exploration in Sokoto

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has said that his administration will support the Federal Government in ensuring success of exploration activities in the Sokoto Basin.
According to him, the Governors of Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Katsina states are willing to partner with relevant agencies to facilitate the exploration of both ethanol and hydrocarbon resources in the basin.
He stated this on Thursday, at the ongoing Regional Technology Knowledge-sharing conference on hydrocarbon potentials of Sokoto Basin going on at the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto.
The conference is organised by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) in collaboration with Sokoto State Government and the host university to improve expert literature and share research results on the viability of hydrocarbon in the Sokoto Basin.
He said that the location of the Sokoto basin is the south-eastern portion of a larger basin, which covers north-western Nigeria, most parts of Niger Republic, Benin Republic, Mali, Algeria and Libya.
Tambuwal said almost all available hydrocarbon resources are reserved deep underground, and that there is the need to engage experts to come up with in-depth, credible and convincing data capable of attracting international investment into basin.
“In pursuance of such reliable data, the Sokoto State Government contracted a Chinese company, which surveyed the basin and confirmed the availability hydrocarbon phosphate in abundance.
“Nigeria is in an urgent need of more oil and gas reserves to help in developing other economic sectors for fast industrial development of the country,” the Governor added.
According to him, exploring the inland basins will be beneficial to the nation, especially because the Niger Delta and offshore areas have witnessed exploration for too long.​