The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority have pledged deeper collaboration to eliminate regulatory uncertainties and strengthen investor confidence across Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
The commitment followed a courtesy visit by the new Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA, Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, to the headquarters of the NUPRC in Abuja.
The meeting, hosted by the Commission Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, focused on strengthening cooperation between both regulators and creating a more coordinated regulatory framework across Nigeria’s upstream, midstream, and downstream petroleum sectors.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Head of Media and Corporate Communications at the NUPRC, Eniola Akinkuotu, both agencies reaffirmed their shared responsibility for the overall health and stability of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The statement read, “The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission received a courtesy visit from the new Authority Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Mr. Rabiu Abdullahi Umar, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
“The visit, hosted by the NUPRC Commission Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, centred on strengthening the working relationship between both regulators and charting a path toward a more coherent, industry-enabling regulatory environment across Nigeria’s entire petroleum value chain.”
The statement noted that the regulators agreed on the need to speak with one voice on issues affecting operators, investors, and the broader energy market.
It added that both agencies acknowledged that they derive their authority from the Petroleum Industry Act and stressed that the industry would function more efficiently when that shared legal foundation translates into coordinated regulatory action.
A major issue discussed during the visit was the need to address regulatory uncertainties that have recently affected investor and operator confidence in the sector.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Eyesan said the engagement reflected a strong sense of shared purpose between both institutions, adding that closer coordination was already yielding positive results for the industry.
She pointed to the absence of fuel supply disruptions in recent months despite global market pressures as evidence that collaboration among regulators and relevant stakeholders was helping to stabilise the sector.
The statement read, “The absence of fuel supply disruptions in recent months, despite considerable global pressure, as evidence that coordinated regulation is already producing results.”
Eyesan stressed that regulatory harmony was critical to sustaining growth across the petroleum value chain, particularly at a time when Nigeria is seeking to attract fresh investments into oil, gas, refining, and infrastructure development.
The NMDPRA chief executive also underscored the importance of institutional collaboration, describing both regulators as partners with a common mandate to secure Nigeria’s energy future.
According to him, effective coordination between the upstream and downstream regulators would help improve operational efficiency, policy consistency, and investor confidence.
Both regulators also commended the policy environment created under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, noting that recent reforms and policy interventions had contributed to improved stability in the petroleum sector.
They cited ongoing fiscal reforms, security interventions, and harmonisation efforts among government agencies as key factors helping to create a more enabling environment for investments and industry growth.
The agencies expressed confidence that stronger inter-agency coordination, combined with supportive government policies, would position Nigeria’s petroleum sector for long-term growth and competitiveness.
The Petroleum Industry Act, signed into law in 2021, restructured Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and created separate regulatory bodies for the upstream and midstream/downstream segments of the sector.
While the NUPRC oversees exploration and production activities in the upstream sector, the NMDPRA regulates gas processing, transportation, distribution, refining, and petroleum product marketing.
Stakeholders have repeatedly called for stronger coordination between both agencies to reduce regulatory overlaps, improve operational clarity, and enhance Nigeria’s attractiveness to local and foreign investors.
