The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has outlined a three-pillar reform agenda aimed at boosting oil production, improving regulatory predictability and strengthening governance and sustainability across Nigeria’s upstream sector.
The Commission Chief Executive stated this while unveiling a comprehensive reform agenda for Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector, anchored on efficiency, regulatory certainty and sustainable operations.
Mrs. Eyesan said the transformation strategy is built on three core pillars: production optimisation and revenue expansion; regulatory predictability and speed; and safe, governed and sustainable operations. She noted that the agenda aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope programme and the administration’s target of raising crude oil production to 2 million barrels per day (mbpd) by 2027 and 3 million mbpd by 2030.
The NUPRC chief presented the agenda on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at a stakeholder engagement in Lagos attended by members of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), emerging industry players and other key stakeholders in the oil and gas sector.
According to Mrs. Eyesan, production growth and revenue expansion will be driven through the recovery of economically viable shut-in volumes, arresting production decline, reducing losses and accelerating time-to-first oil—without increasing regulatory burdens or transaction costs. She disclosed that the process has already begun, citing the recent reactivation of a long shut-in asset.
She explained that regulatory predictability and speed would be achieved by “running regulation like a service,” enforcing rules transparently and making timely, well-defined decisions. As part of this approach, the Commission plans to strengthen governance, process safety, host community outcomes and decarbonisation initiatives through safe and sustainable operational practices.
“Going forward, the Commission will be measured by key success metrics, including faster and more predictable regulatory approvals; higher, more secure and sustainable production; credible licensing and disciplined acreage performance; world-class health, safety and environment outcomes; and trusted measurement, transparency, governance and data integrity,” she said.
Mrs. Eyesan further announced that NUPRC will enhance regulatory efficiency by publishing Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for all major approvals. She added that timelines to production would be shortened through proactive engagement on required approvals, the introduction of stage-gate processes and mutual agreement on project timelines between operators and the Commission.
“Stakeholders are encouraged to submit their projects for consideration. For mature opportunities, submissions should be made no later than the end of the first quarter of 2026. This will create a simplified and holistic framework that establishes clear obligations for both operators and the Commission,” she said.
The Commission, she revealed, will also roll out a digital workflow system for permitting, reporting and data submissions. NUPRC will collaborate with industry players to identify capacity gaps and deploy tiered interventions in critical areas with immediate impact on regulatory efficiency, while harmonising internal processes to eliminate conflicting regulatory actions and reduce friction.
Mrs. Eyesan disclosed that the Commission’s internal transformation programme, driven through a Project Management Office, is already underway, adding that further details would be released in the coming days.
She also announced the establishment of a monthly CCE–Operators Leadership Forum, bringing together all operators—including NNPC Limited—alongside OPTS, IPPG and emerging players. The forum will focus on approval timelines, production restoration, infrastructure integrity, and gas monetisation and development, with the aim of identifying systemic bottlenecks and improving regulatory predictability.
The NUPRC chief stressed the importance of accurate hydrocarbon accounting, noting that the Commission will prioritise tracking every barrel produced and swiftly addressing discrepancies and losses.
On host community relations, she urged operators to engage closely with the Commission ahead of planned meetings with host community leaders to reaffirm commitment to the effective implementation of Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs).
Mrs. Eyesan also stated that a key objective of her administration is to achieve full compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) within 12 months. This effort, she said, will be monitored by a dedicated team reporting directly to her office, with the Commission issuing quarterly progress reports.
“Operators are encouraged to bring forward all high-impact shut-in fields for approval. On our part, a 90-day programme to fast-track approvals for near-ready Field Development Plans, well interventions, rig mobilisation and other quick-win opportunities has already commenced,” she added.
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