"resource control", whereby all of oil revenue accruing to the Nigerian nation should only go to the states where oil is found and explored. Nigeria, currently, runs a pseudo-welfarist economy where all revenues from minerals accrues to the Federal Government and is shared monthly among Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, using a national legislated formula.
Because of political threats and bickering over oil from the south, northern states governments used their collective political weight to push for oil prospecting and exploration attempts in the northern part of the country. The Federal Government commissioned some oil giants like Shell and Chevron to do some survey in the North. The oil giants left after certain attempts and reported to the Federal Government that commercial quantity oil was not available in the North. Some oil services experts and politicians of Northern extract questioned this stand, saying that it has been politicised against a northern advantage so that the North, as a political and economic entity will not have a bargaining power. Yet, the States governments cannot go into the business of oil as Nigeria's oil legislation only allows the Federal Government to prospect for, explore and trade in crude oil.
Now, some researches in oil-related fields, politicians and certain business giants believe that there is a cell in Boko Haram, heavily funded through a militant leader of the Niger-Delta, fighting to elude northern Nigeria of peace so that the prospect of looking for oil in the North is dashed, most especially in the North-East where abundant oil is believed to be lying.
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Headquaters, Abuja:
Kaduna Refinery: Will this facility come to refine crude oil from Northern Nigeria?
NNPC: Any complicity against finding oil on Northern soils?
Offshore oil drilling: Owned by the Federal Government or owned by which State?
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