The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, has launched its 2026 Licensing Round, offering 40 oil and gas blocks across land, shallow water and deep water terrains as part of efforts to attract fresh investment and boost petroleum production.
NUPRC Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, announced the licensing round on Tuesday in Abuja at the Commission’s fifth anniversary ceremony, themed, “From Uncertainty to Stability: Unlocking the Next Phase of Investment.”
Eyesan said the licensing round followed the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that the blocks were open to investors with the requisite technical competence, financial capacity and commitment to developing Nigeria’s petroleum resources.
According to a statement issued by the NUPRC Head of Media and Corporate Communications, Eniola Akinkuotu, the Commission would publish the full details of the blocks, qualification requirements and participation procedures on its website and dedicated licensing round portal in the coming days.
Eyesan said the guidelines would incorporate recommendations by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, including the full disclosure of the evaluation methodology, wider publication of licensing results and disclosure of the beneficial owners of all bidders.
She invited qualified Nigerian and international investors to participate in the process, urging them to submit their best bids and proposals.
Beyond the licensing round, Eyesan said the Commission’s immediate priority was to raise oil production by restoring shut-in output and accelerating major offshore investments.
She said more than 788,000 barrels per day of shut-in production had been identified across 63 operators, while offshore projects estimated at between $30 billion and $50 billion were awaiting final investment decisions.
The NUPRC boss also identified the expansion of domestic gas delivery as another priority, saying the Commission would work to raise supply from about two-thirds of domestic obligations to full delivery.
Eyesan said the upstream sector had recorded significant changes over the past five years, driven by the transparency and predictability introduced by the Petroleum Industry Act and executive orders issued by the Tinubu administration.
The Commission also used the anniversary to honour former directors of the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources and pioneer leaders of the NUPRC, as well as former National Assembly leaders who played key roles in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act.
Among those honoured were former Senate President Ahmad Lawan and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The event also featured the unveiling of a special edition of the Commission’s in-house magazine, The Upstream Gaze, and a documentary chronicling the NUPRC’s five-year journey.
Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Tinubu at the ceremony, while the OPEC Governor for Nigeria, Ademola Adeyemi Bero, delivered the anniversary lecture.
Also in attendance were Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Oil, Heineken Lokpobiri; Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, Bayo Bashir Ojulari; and other senior government officials and industry stakeholders.
