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•Pledges transparent, competitive licensing rounds
By Adewale Sanyaolu
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has declared that the era of regulatory ambiguity in Nigeria’s upstream sector is over.
Commission Chief Executive (CCE) of the NUPRC, Mr. Gbenga Komolafe, stated this when he received a high-level TotalEnergies delegation led by the President, TotalEnergies Exploration and Production, Mr. Nicolas Terraz, who was accompanied by the Managing Director/Chief Executive of TotalEnergies Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Mathieu Bouyer and other senior executives at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
Reiterating the NUPRC’s commitment to a predictable regulatory environment, the CCE noted that the Commission is not only a regulator but also a strategic business enabler in line with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
“Now, in Nigeria, we have a regulator that steps in to address issues as an enabler,” the NUPRC helmsman stated, underscoring the Commission’s investor-centric reforms and continued drive to improve operational clarity for oil and gas companies.
Komolafe also commended TotalEnergies for its recent execution of projects under the Obagi Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT), describing the development as a demonstration of the company’s commitment to community development and the spirit of the PIA’s host community provisions.
Meanwhile, in a goodwill message at the two-day strategic media workshop for energy correspondents, which ended in Lagos yesterday, the CCE pledged a more transparent, globally competitive 2025 oil bid round.
Represented by the Deputy Director, Human Resources, Corporate Services and Administration, NUPRC, Komolafe stated that the licensing round, which begins on December 1, 2025, is anticipated to be even more transparent and globally competitive than the 2024 round. He said the initiative is designed to open new frontiers, unlock fresh prospects, and further strengthen Nigeria’s reserves base.
He said the NUPRC remains fully committed to the national aspiration of adding one million incremental barrels of oil per day to Nigeria’s daily production profile.
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He further disclosed that this year alone, Nigeria’s daily crude oil production has, on multiple occasions, exceeded 1.7 million barrels per day, demonstrating the capacity to surpass OPEC targets.
“Our rig count has risen to nearly 70, with over 40 rigs active. Final Investment Decisions valued in billions of dollars have been taken, and within the last 10 months, we have approved Field Development Plans worth approximately $20 billion.”
“It is therefore clear that at the heart of both our missions, yours as the Fourth Estate of the Realm and ours as a regulatory institution, is a shared commitment to openness, accountability, and service to the Nigerian people.”
He said the workshop was conceived with that shared purpose in mind: to give journalists a deeper, behind-the-scenes understanding of the Commission’s work and Nigeria’s dynamic upstream petroleum industry.
“Over the past two days, our subject-matter experts from exploration, development, production, acreage management, economic regulation, host community relations, and other critical departments have offered you first-hand insights into the sector’s evolving realities.”
The CCE explained that one central takeaway from these engagements is that, globally, investments in oil and gas are declining as countries intensify the shift towards cleaner energy.
He, however, added that despite this global headwind, Nigeria has continued to record steady, measurable progress in the upstream sector. This, he said, has been driven by the Commission’s regulatory instruments developed under the PIA and further reinforced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s far-reaching Executive Orders.
“However, as we advance these reforms and attract much-needed investments, the role of the media becomes more critical. Nigeria’s position as Africa’s leading producer depends not just on policy, regulation, and geology, but also on how the nation’s story is told. The oil and gas sector is highly sensitive to perception, and your reporting has the power to reassure investors or deter them.
“It is therefore essential that while you continue to inform the public, such reportage remains factual, contextual, and development-oriented. The narrative must reflect Nigeria’s aspirations, opportunities, and progress, not merely its challenges.”
