NUPRC Applauded for Strategic Reforms and $16bn Investment Inflow

• The Centre for Energy Governance and Accountability (CEGA) has praised NUPRC for securing approval of 37 new crude oil evacuation routes
• CEGA credited Komolafe’s leadership and regulatory reforms, notable the One Million Barrels Initiative, for attracting over $16 billion in new investments
• The group also commended initiatives like HostComply and environmental accountability efforts as key to sustainable and responsible oil production

The Centre for Energy Governance and Accountability (CEGA) has praised the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for securing federal approval of 37 new crude oil evacuation routes.

Speaking at the 2025 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week in Abuja, NUPRC Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, unveiled the new routes and outlined sector-wide reforms designed to boost Nigeria’s production and competitiveness.

Komolafe also credited closer collaboration with the armed forces and security agencies for safeguarding vital oil infrastructure.

Komolafe hailed for outstanding leadership

In a statement issued on Sunday, CEGA hailed the move as “a major milestone” in Nigeria’s longstanding struggle to curb oil theft, which costs the nation billions each year. Dr. Kelvin Sotonye Williams, Executive Director of CEGA, commended Komolafe for “translating policy into measurable results.”

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“The approval of 37 new evacuation routes is not just a bureaucratic adjustment—it is a strategic intervention in a sector that bleeds billions annually. This move signals seriousness in plugging leakages and restoring investor confidence,” Williams said.

Williams also pointed to Komolafe’s steady leadership since the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in 2021, noting it has brought regulatory clarity that previously eluded the sector.

He cited the over $16 billion in investment commitments attracted under the Tinubu administration in two years as evidence of growing investor trust.

“These are not paper promises. These are real inflows driven by clarity of vision, regulatory consistency, and aggressive digitisation,” he noted.

Williams further praised the commission’s One Million Barrels Initiative, which targets an increase in daily production from 1.7 million barrels per day to 2.5 million bpd by 2026.

Launched in 2024, the initiative is already delivering results through faster project approvals and revival of dormant fields.

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Highlighting the urgency of boosting output, Williams warned that global energy demand will require sustained upstream investment, which Nigeria must not miss.

“Komolafe is correct to warn that failure to invest in supply will threaten global and regional stability. Nigeria’s oil reserves are a strategic asset that must be optimally managed, not underutilised,” he stated.

NUPRC's HostComply initiative welcomed

CEGA also welcomed NUPRC’s HostComply initiative, designed to track compliance with host community obligations in real time, a measure Williams described as critical for building trust in the Niger Delta.

He added that integrating environmental accountability into upstream policies, including backing Nigeria’s 2060 net-zero target, shows the commission’s balanced approach to development.

“With Komolafe at the helm, the NUPRC is clearly not content with the status quo. They are thinking beyond survival; they are working towards transformation,” Williams concluded.

CEGA urged the government to sustain this reform drive by shielding regulatory processes from political pressure and enforcing executive directives consistently, arguing this is key to making Nigeria’s upstream sector a continental leader in responsible fossil fuel production.

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NUPRC lauded for ensuring transparency

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had received widespread commendation from stakeholders for its efforts to entrench transparency in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

Civil society organisations, academics, traditional rulers, and students in a statement made available to Legit.ng on Monday, June 23, hailed the Commission’s performance under the leadership of Chief Executive Gbenga Komolafe, especially in implementing key provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

Source: Legit.ng