Stakeholders Demand Independent Review of NUPRC’s 2025 Licensing Round
A coalition of stakeholders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an independent review of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) 2025 Licensing Round, citing concerns over the implementation of qualification requirements during the bidding process.
The group said the review would strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s upstream licensing framework and assure investors that the published rules guiding the exercise were applied fairly to all participants.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Coalition of Concerned Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry, Dele Olasile, the coalition said concerns had emerged from companies that participated in the licensing exercise, particularly over the mandatory purchase of proprietary geological and subsurface datasets required for qualification.
According to the coalition, both indigenous and international firms invested significant resources to acquire the required data packages after the commission made compliance a prerequisite for participation.
However, the group alleged that reports suggested some applicants progressed through the licensing process without purchasing the same datasets, raising concerns over whether the qualification requirements were applied uniformly.
The coalition urged the NUPRC to clarify the reports, including whether any waivers, exemptions, or alternative arrangements were granted during the qualification stage and the basis for such decisions.
It warned that any perception of inconsistent application of the rules could undermine investor confidence and discourage participation in future licensing rounds.
The stakeholders also called on the Presidency to establish an independent panel to determine whether the 2025 Licensing Round was conducted strictly in line with the commission’s published guidelines.
They further urged relevant oversight institutions to review the exercise and provide necessary clarification, stressing that a transparent assessment would reinforce accountability, fairness, and regulatory certainty in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
Meanwhile, environmental experts have called for an urgent review of Nigeria’s 34-year-old Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act, describing the existing framework as inadequate to address emerging environmental and social challenges associated with the country’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
The call was made during a two-day policy laboratory organised by the Cleen Foundation in Port Harcourt to assess Nigeria’s preparedness for a just energy transition.
Speaking at the event, the foundation’s Programme Director, Salaudeen Hashim, said the current EIA process had become outdated and was contributing to weaknesses in Nigeria’s response to environmental degradation.
Hashim stressed that Nigeria’s shift to cleaner energy must avoid repeating the environmental failures associated with decades of fossil fuel exploitation, particularly in the Niger Delta.
He emphasized the need for host communities to actively participate in the energy transition process and benefit from renewable energy opportunities, while ensuring renewable energy remains accessible, affordable, and widely available.
He also called for stronger safeguards and clear national policies on the disposal and recycling of batteries and solar panels as renewable energy infrastructure expands across the country.
