Economic diversification: Sen. Tofowomo wants FG to tap into 16bn barrel bitumen in Ondo

By Tunde Opalana

Should the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari be sincere with its avowed priority of enhancing economic diversity towards meaningful development, it needs to tap into the vast 16 billion barrel bitumen deposit in parts of Ondo State.

Senator representing Info South senatorial district, Senator Nicholas Tofowomo who gave this indication said the country is sitting on fortune in untapped bitumen resources.

He said this while leading a debate on the Establishment of Bitumen Training Institute, Ode Aye, Ondo State (Establishment Bill 2021 (SB 663) on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday.

The bill which was read for the first time on Tuesday March 2021 passed second reading.

According to the senator, bitumen deposit in Ondo south covers Odigbo, Okitipupa and Irele local government areas which is about half of the Senatorial district, adding that it is on record that the bitumen in Ondo south is the second largest deposit in the whole world.

He said Venezuela has the largest deposit and its currently the largest in the whole world.

While charging the Buhari administration to take advantage of the vast deposit of the natural resources, he blamed past governments in the country for their lackadaisical attitude towards call for the development of bitumen industry.

He said “bitumen importation has been significant in Nigeria since military administration of General Gowon and it has taken significant effect on our foreign exchange.

“Many past administrations of Federal government have played different roles in exploring Bitumen. They include, General Yakubu Gowon (1966 – 1975), President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999 – 1979, 1999 – 2007), General Ibrahim Babangida (1985 – 1993), President Goodluck Jonathan (2010 – 2015) and our President Muhammadu Buhari have shown interest in Bitumen exploration since 2015 but it is not a continuous process because of different difficulties in its exploration”.

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Bitumen, he said, is used for many things in Nigeria; these include road construction and housing while adding that it is one of the richly deposited minerals resources in Nigeria and some Africa countries just like crude oil and that it is found in Ondo, Lagos, Ogun, and Edo states.

“Bitumen was discovered at first in 1900 and exploration begins in 1905, Ondo state has large deposit in Sand/Bitumen and the state government has tried its exploration in the past without any achievement.

“The Bitumen in Nigeria is the largest in Africa. Bitumen is found in massive quantities mainly in south-western part of Nigeria especially in the Tar sand of Ilubirin, Loda and Agbabu in Ondo State.
Bitumen deposit extend around 120kms approximately.

“In Ondo South, the estimate of amount of Bitumen available for extraction is about 16 billon barrels.

“There are two (2) basic concentrated form of Bitumen in Ondo south, they are Seepages and outcrops of Bitumen Tar sands and lower viscous bitumen.
Nigeria has an approximated estimate Bitumen reserve of 42.74 billion metric tonnes.

“Bitumen is easily found naturally in the Tar sand where it can be processed and refined into oil rich Bitumen. It can be found as refined products where it occurs via crude oil fractional distribution”.

Calling the attention of his colleagues to the essence of establishing of Bitumen Institute, he said, this would harmonise all the past stride and research made on Bitumen exploration since 1905 and come up with a solid foundation for economic exploration of Bitumen in Nigeria.

“The enactment of this Bill will help transforming the Bitumen potentials as well as fortunes in Nigeria in producing the desired Manpower and expertise to drive the Bitumen Industry just like the Petroleum Training Institute is doing with the petroleum Industry.

“Mr. President, my respected Colleagues, it may interest you to know that the host Community and Ondo State Government is ready to part with over 1000 acres of land for this purpose”.