Bauchi and Gombe oil exploration: Residents demand for jobs, as president Buhari launch oil fields for Northern Nigeria

Some residents of Bauchi state for northeast Nigeria say dem dey hope say di kick off of oil drilling for dia state go provide jobs.

Dem tell BBC News Pidgin say dia main problem na lack of jobs.

Nigeria Presido Muhammadu Buhari go on Tuesday visit Kolmani area – di border of Bauchi and Gombe state for northeast Nigeria to kick off oil drilling for di area.

One resident Usman Tahir say e don tey wey im bele sweet am like dis as dem don dey wait tay-tay for dis oil drilling to turn to reality.

“Na since we small we dey hear say our state get oil but we no really take am serious until few years ago when exploration,” Tahir tok.

E say, “Now di main tin for us na jobs.

“Our state get one of di highest number of unemployed pipo and dis na opportunity for our pipo to get jobs wey go lift dem comot from poverty.”

For Adamu Warji goment need to dey sincere to provide jobs and infrastructure to avoid wetin happun for South South – “we no want environmental issues, we wan enjoy from di oil.”

Historic event

Tuesday event na historic one as e go be di first time wey oil drilling go happun for northern Nigeria.

Nigeria oil company NNPC Limited say na two years ago oil exploration show say oil of huge commercial quantity dey di area wey need to be tapped.

BBC reporter wey dey on ground for Kolmani area tok say more oil wells don dey operational at dis time and workers still dey work on more.

E add say di kick off by Presido Buhari exploration go kontinu for new locations in order to ascertain di real level of oil and gas for di area.

Di plan na to build refinery for di area wey go dey process di oil to be drilled.

Na for 2016 dem first begin oil exploration for northern Nigeria wey lead to confamation say oil of large quantity dey for Bauchi, Gombe Borno and Niger state.

Oil producing states in Nigeria

Nigeria na di kontri wey dey export oil pass for di African continent but di kontri dey also spend huge amount of money to import di refined product back into di kontri.

In di past many of di goments bin promise to fix di kontri refineries so dat importation of refined oil go stop but dat promise still dey hang.

Analysts say dis development of oil in northern Nigeria go increase di total daily oil output wey di kontri dey drill and also export.

According to Wall Street Journal price of oil drop small on Monday after Saudi Arabi and oda members of OPEC announce say dem wan increase production.

Di OPEC group dey meet on December 4 to discuss production plans for January 2023.

And analysts say dem wan increase production by 500,000 barrels per day and dis na why di price drop small.

Nigeria and oil dependency

Nigeria dey depend on crude oil to make moni wey goment dey use for different projects wey go beta di kontri.

Sabi pipo tok say na oil dey bring in 90 percent of export income for Nigeria and 85% of goment money, so oil na serious matter for Nigeria.

Ova di years corruption don give many goment officials chance to tiff public money.

Anytime price of oil drop, Economist, Michael Famoroti explain say e go make goment spending to reduce.

Famoroti wey be Chief Economist for Stears Data tell BBC Pidgin say e dey important for goment to get enough moni to spend becos e dey boost di economy.

“Goment go get moni to execute different projects like road construction, salary payment, social welfare and plenti oda tins. Oil price drop fit affect dis projects.”

Environmental wahala wey oil cause for Nigeria

Crude oil don destroy many communities for Niger-Delta area of di kontri.

Many youths and civil society organizations dey protest steady sake of pollution wey di crude dey cause.

Some na through illegal oil bunkering while cases of sabotage also dey. Goment neva fit address any of di issues to di satisfaction of di affected communities.

Since 2019 naim pipo for Omoviri community for Rumuekpe, Emohua local goment area of Rivers state begin notice oil spill for di Sombreiro river wey dey pass through dia village.

“We never see water to drink, talk less of di one to take baff”, na wetin Mrs Paulina Eze tell BBC Pidgin at di time.

She say sake of dis oil spill, dem dey suffer as no drinking water dey again since dem use to drink water from di Sombreiro river.

“Now na inside bush we dey go find fresh water to drink as dis oil don spoil our river water. Before we use to come baff, wash clothes and do oda tins for dis river but wit dis oil, we no fit again.

“Madam Paulina add say di oil spill dey also affect di farmland as wetin dem plant no dey do well, but more importantly, dem no get any borehole water, school or hospital. She come beg goment and oda agencies to come help provide borehole water so dem fit see water to drink.

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Di case for Rumuekpe na one out many wey oda communities for Niger-Delta dey experience.