Five Political Reasons Oil Exploration In The North Is Worth Celebrating

President Muhammadu Buhari landed today in Bauchi State to flag off oil exploration activities. Is there any good political news from the development? 

Received by the northeast governors and top northern politicians, the president spearheaded the conduct of the ground-breaking ceremony of the Kolmani Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 809 and 810 at the Kolmani field site located in Bauchi and Gombe states.

In this article, five political benefits of the unprecedented development will be brought to the fore.

It could aid restructuring and true federalism 

According to some quarters, Nigeria is finding restructuring and the practice of true federalism difficult because of the deficiency of national resources in Nigeria.

The southern part of the country had the national cake, oil, while the north did not. 

Some westerners believe that the region oppose true federalism because it felt it did not have what would fetch it national wealth.

Though there are other fundamental values in the northern part of the country, the region had no oil before this discovery, which has become the major boom in Nigeria's national economy. 

Be it a rumour or fact, with the discovery of oil by President Buhari's administration, northern Nigeria can be independent of the oil money from the south in no distant future, making true federalism imminent. 

The people could feel the dividends of democracy

With the discovery and exploration of oil in the state, both Bauchi and Gombe may, in the near future, benefit from the 13% derivation from oil accruals to states.

If you do not like the environmental hazards caused by the dangers of oil in Nigeria, then look at the infrastructure Rivers state people enjoy with the oil revenue. 

The northeast has battled insurgency and terrorism in the last few years, denying the people quality access to education and housing.

If visionary leaders manage the states well, the discovery of oil in the states could alleviate all the suffering in the region in the shortest possible time.

Not only that, economic prosperity and employment opportunities are likely to spring up in the region.

The northeast could become Nigeria's epicentre of development if the government had the state's citizens in mind.

President Buhari's milestone achievement 

President Muhammadu Buhari's administration is the first to discover oil in the north.

This feat is unprecedented and appealing to a part of the country the president promised to lift out of insecurity but arguably struggled to.

For the president who has struggled to convince Nigerians that he would be leaving the country in a better place than he met, there is no doubt this success offers validation, at least to Bauchi and Gombe states.

Additionally, the country and the present administration will rejoice that they now have a legacy from a government they earlier got lesser than they expected.

Good news at a good time 

Many Nigerians have given up on the Nigeria project judging by the travails of the ruling class in the country.

Some Nigerians have also concluded that they would not be voting.

Still, a milestone achievement attained by the Buhari administration at the tail end of his tenure will reawake lost hope in the system.

At a time Nigerians and the political space are polarised with activities of the public office seekers, this discovery will give bantering and lousy mouthing a break and offer some time of deep reflection on how blessed the giant of Africa is in terms of national resources.

Issue-based campaign

What a time to record such development in Nigeria!

Voters can use this time to throw questions to the 2023 presidential candidates on how they will manage the new resources and decisively make their presidential choices from the candidates' responses.