A wave of confusion and local tension is currently trailing the recent announcement that President Bola Tinubu has greenlit commercial oil drilling operations in Ogun State. While the news originally sparked excitement, a series of conflicting statements from the state government regarding the exact location of the project has left many residents on edge.
The situation began last Thursday when Governor Dapo Abiodun hosted Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha, the Flag Officer Commanding the Western Naval Command, in Abeokuta. During the visit, the Governor shared that the President had approved the start of commercial drilling, alongside the long-awaited take-off of the Olokola Deep Seaport in Ogun Waterside. However, the specific site for the oil exploration became a point of major contention almost immediately.
The initial official communication quoted the Governor as naming Tongeji Island in Ipokia Local Government as the approved site. Shortly after, a second government statement corrected the first, claiming the actual approval was for Eba in the Ogun Waterside area. The government chalked the discrepancy up to an error by a press officer, but for the people of Ipokia, the damage was already done.
Concerned indigenes of Ipokia have since sent a formal petition to the Governor, dated January 23, 2026. Signed by Barrister Lawal Orisadare, the Baamofin of Ipokia Kingdom, the document alleges a deliberate attempt to divert the project from Tongeji Island to another part of the state. The community is now demanding an urgent clarification, fearing that their economic future is being tampered with behind the scenes.
The residents pointed out that oil deposits on Tongeji Island are not a new discovery; they have been confirmed in commercial quantities for years. They argued that this resource is a lifeline for their region and reminded the government that successive administrations, dating back to the military era, had always identified Tongeji as the focal point for Ogun’s entry into the league of oil-producing states.
There is also a sensitive security dimension to this dispute. The presence of oil has previously attracted unwanted attention from the Republic of Benin, which reportedly made attempts to claim the island. The indigenes credited the Nigerian Navy with protecting the territory and warned that any sign of government neglect or “shifting narratives” could embolden external interests and threaten national sovereignty.
Historically, the push for oil on Tongeji Island gained significant momentum around 2004 under the administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel. With the backing of then-President Olusegun Obasanjo, the state even established Gateway Oil and Gas Development Limited to oversee the exploration. For the people of Ipokia, seeing the project seemingly move elsewhere after decades of anticipation is a bitter pill to swallow.
Governor Abiodun has maintained that these projects are of special interest to the Presidency, noting that while the Olokola Deep Seaport will help decongest Lagos ports, the oil drilling is meant to empower coastal communities. Whether those communities will be in the West or the East of the state remains the big question that the government must now answer to restore calm.
