Petroleum Sector Reforms: Nigeria Gets Continental Recognition as Pan African Parliament Speaks
- The Pan African Parliament (PAP) has commended Nigeria's reforms in the petroleum sector
- PAP members praised Nigeria's faithful implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 and its dramatic production rebound
- Other African countries, including Senegal and Gambia, said they are taking cues from Nigeria's success
Johannesburg, South Africa - The Pan African Parliament (PAP) has assessed Nigeria's reforms in the petroleum sector, saying the country deserves commendation.
PAP made the disclosure at the conclusion of a 14-day special syndicate meeting of West African parliamentarians held in Johannesburg.
Source: Twitter
It added that Nigeria's turnaround in the petroleum sector is remarkable and historic, describing the country’s upstream reforms as a benchmark for the continent.
Legit.ng reports that the meeting was held to discuss African resource management and the urgent need for a continental model law.
PAP members hail Nigeria's PIA
PAP members reportedly hailed Nigeria’s faithful implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, describing the development as the practical template that other African oil-producing nations should emulate.
Among others, the meeting resolved to fast-track the drafting of a Model Law on Natural Resource Governance, citing Nigeria’s transparent, predictable and investment-friendly licensing regime as the central reference point.
The PAP members also hailed Nigeria’s dramatic production rebound, noting that official figures confirm the country has repeatedly surpassed 1.7 million barrels per day in 2025, ending a decade of stagnation caused by security challenges, operational setbacks and so on.
"Nigeria now stands firmly on course to achieve its long-standing target of 2.5 million barrels per day by 2026. A near-70 rig count recorded this year—the highest in almost a decade—with more than forty rigs still active, reflects the strongest upstream drilling activity in years and unmistakable evidence that global investor sentiment has turned decisively in Nigeria’s favour," a statement released after the PAP meeting said.
PAP member from Senegal hails Nigeria
Speaking to newsmen at the end of the meeting, Massamba Dieng of Senegal said what Nigeria has achieved in less than five years is nothing short of revolutionary for Africa.
"The disciplined enforcement of ‘drill or drop’, the return to annual licensing rounds conducted on a fully digital and transparent platform, and the recovery of billions of barrels in stranded assets have turned Nigeria into the continent’s most attractive upstream destination," he said.
"We in Senegal and across West Africa intend to borrow heavily from this model as we craft our own reforms.”
Gambia's PAP member hails Nigeria's leadership.
In his own remarks, Salifu Jawo, a Gambian member of the Pan African Parliament, said Nigeria’s leadership extends beyond its borders through its chairmanship of the African Petroleum Regulators Forum under Engr. Gbenga Komolafe.
"The practical knowledge being shared through AFRIPERF is already helping smaller producers design better regulatory frameworks," he said.
"The combination of political will, legislative clarity in the PIA, and courageous regulatory execution has given Africa a success story we can all replicate."
Jawo added that Gambia is drafting a Model Law, which will be built largely on Nigeria’s experience.
The parliamentarians noted that Nigeria’s bold reforms are being actively disseminated across the continent through AFRIPERF platforms, offering practical guidance to regulators seeking to attract investment and maximise resource value.
Meanwhile, Nigeria's Gbenga Komolafe is the current president of the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF), a position that added further weight to Nigeria’s continental influence, the statement noted.
Source: Twitter
Komolafe’s reforms pushed output past 1.7m bpd
In another report, an influential oil sector reform coalition has thrown its weight behind the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, praising what it called a historic turnaround in the country’s crude production performance.
The Oil & Gas Governance Reform Alliance (OGRA) said the commission’s recent disclosures leave no doubt that Nigeria is finally regaining lost ground after years of stalled progress and investor unease.
In a statement signed by its executive director, Dr Ibrahim Kalango, OGRA noted that Nigeria’s crude output per day has increased several times this year, a feat the group described as a decisive break from a long period marked by operational setbacks, pipeline losses and subdued confidence.
Source: Legit.ng
