The federal government said on Wednesday that it is ready to resume oil exploration in the Chad Basin.The practice was suspended by the government in July 2017 by suspected members of Boko Haram, after a team of geological engineers from Maiduguri University was attacked by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation for surveying the Chad Lake area in Born State Was engaged Start of oil exploration.

Addressing the media after a close door meeting in Maiduguri with the military and CEOs in the oil petroleum sector, the state’s Minister of Petroleum Resources,  Mr Timipre Sylva said that the area was now sufficient to start the oil exploration peacefully.

Timipre said the relative peace in Borno State and the Lake Chad region informed the decision to relocate for exploration and drilling activities in the area. He said: “We thank the Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Army for the great work performed here in the North-East.

“We believe that without their heroic activities, we would not be able to live safely in Abuja. After thanking the army, we also wanted to start exploration and drilling activities here because, we believe, there is relative peace in the area.

“As you may well know, we have found oil in Gombe and we believe that a lot of oil is found in the Chad Basin. We have seen a lot of potential in the Chad Basin and we want to start exploration and drilling activities and that is why we are collaborating with the Nigerian Army to ensure that the security is provided to start the activities very soon.

The minister appreciated the sacrifice and valor of the Nigerian Army in the fight against the insurgency in the Northeast.He also called for the cooperation of the Chief of Army Staff in providing adequate security to secure the installations and workers on the ground. The minister was on a visit along with other officials to the group managing director of NNPC, Alhaji Mele Kyari, group general manager Frontier Exploration Services, Abdullahi Bomai.