Group Seeks FG’s Review of NUPRC Oil Licensing Bid

A coalition of stakeholders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry has called for a review of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission’s (NUPRC) 2025 Licensing Bid Round, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure that the process remains transparent and consistent with published guidelines.

In a statement signed by Dele Olasile, Chairman of the Coalition of Concerned Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry, the group said it had received concerns from participants in the bid round about the application of qualification requirements, particularly the mandatory purchase of proprietary geological and subsurface data.

According to the coalition, several indigenous and international companies made significant financial commitments to acquire the required datasets after the Commission stated that compliance with the condition was necessary for participation in the exercise.

The group said it was seeking clarification on reports that some applicants may have advanced through parts of the process without purchasing the same data packages, adding that such concerns have raised questions among industry players about how the qualification criteria were implemented.

Olasile said the stakeholders want reassurance that all applicants were treated fairly and that the rules were applied uniformly throughout the licensing round.

“If there are any areas that need clarification, it is important that they are addressed promptly so confidence in the process can be maintained,” a senior executive of an indigenous exploration company was quoted as saying.

The coalition said industry participants were particularly interested in knowing whether any exemptions, waivers or alternative arrangements were considered during the qualification stage, and the basis on which such decisions may have been made.

Some stakeholders also expressed concern that any inconsistency in the application of requirements could affect confidence in future licensing rounds and discourage investment in the sector.

The coalition therefore urged the Presidency to set up an independent review of the 2025 Licensing Bid Round to examine whether the process was conducted in line with the Commission’s published guidelines.

It also called on relevant oversight institutions to examine the exercise and provide clarity where necessary, saying that an independent assessment would help strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.

The coalition maintained that a review of the process would help reassure both local and international investors that transparency and fairness remain central to the administration’s reform agenda.