Nigeria, Jan. 23 -- President Bola Tinubu has approved the commencement of commercial oil drilling at Tongeji Island in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun said in a statement on Thursday.

The Ogun State governor announced the development, which is expected to put Ogun on the list of Nigeria's oil-producing one for the first time, while receiving the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Abubakar Mustapha, a rear admiral, during a courtesy visit in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Tongeji Island is a small island which lies along waterways near the border with the Republic of Benin. According to reports, it is much closer by boat to Port-Novo in Benin Republic than to major Nigerian urban centres, suc...