Juliet Jacob 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s oil and gas regulators move to end long-standing regulatory overlaps as the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) agree to deepen collaboration to boost investor confidence.
The agreement was reached on Thursday during a high-level engagement at the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, where both agencies committed to structured coordination mechanisms, including liaison teams and quarterly joint meetings.
Speaking at the meeting, NUPRC Commission Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, says alignment between regulators is essential due to the interconnected nature of petroleum operations. “We are enablers for the industry. Sometimes there is no clear separation between upstream, midstream and downstream activities,” Eyesan says. “When regulators are not aligned, it creates challenges.”
She describes the engagement as the beginning of deeper collaboration aimed at accelerating sectoral growth and regulatory efficiency.
Eyesan also calls on the NMDPRA to support the forthcoming 2025/2026 oil and gas licensing round, which will offer 50 blocks, and formally invites its leadership to the pre-bid conference scheduled for January 14, 2026, in Lagos.
In his remarks, NMDPRA Authority Chief Executive, Engr Saidu Aliyu Mohammed, stresses the shared institutional heritage of both agencies as former units of the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources.
“We share a common heritage, and our relationship should reflect that of siblings,” he says. “Any issues should be resolved internally, professionally and in the best interest of the industry.”
Both regulators express confidence that sustained cooperation will reduce uncertainty, streamline approvals and reinforce Nigeria’s competitiveness as an oil and gas investment destination.
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Korede Abdullah 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius