The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has said that 220 oil blocks across Nigeria are not abandoned but are waiting for new concessionaires to take over through proper licensing and bid rounds.
This was made known in a statement issued by the commission on Wednesday, following recent reports showing that the oil blocks remain inactive despite Nigeria’s ongoing debt challenges and shortfalls in crude oil supply, especially for local refineries.
According to NUPRC, the unlicensed blocks are spread across different oil-rich regions, including offshore and onshore locations. The deep offshore terrain has the highest number of available blocks, with 59 still waiting to be taken up. This area is known for its large oil reserves but also requires heavy investments and advanced technology to explore and produce oil successfully.
The Benue Trough has 41 open blocks, while the Chad Basin contains 40. The Sokoto Basin has 28 unlicensed blocks, and the Bida Basin holds 16. Even in older and more developed oil-producing regions like the Niger Delta, there are still blocks yet to be awarded. The offshore Niger Delta still has seven open blocks, while the Anambra Basin has 13. Eight blocks each are available in the Benin Basin and onshore Niger Delta.
The commission explained that all these oil blocks are governed by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) of 2021. Section 7(t) of the Act gives NUPRC the power to carry out regular bid rounds and award Petroleum Prospecting Licences (PPLs) and Petroleum Mining Leases (PMLs) to investors who meet all the set conditions.
NUPRC further clarified that these 220 oil blocks are simply awaiting concessioning and will be awarded during upcoming bid rounds. It pointed out that a licensing round was announced in December 2024, targeting 2025, but the process has not yet commenced.
The commission also released the full concession status of 243 oil blocks as part of its effort to promote transparency in the oil and gas sector. It confirmed that some existing oil licences expired in June 2025, although it did not provide an update on the renewal or reassignment of those licences.
In recent years, the commission has awarded 24 new blocks from both the 2022/2023 deepwater mini bid round and the 2024 licensing round. These were given based on successful exploration, development, and production efforts by qualified investors.
However, the deep offshore areas, despite their rich hydrocarbon potential, remain underexplored. NUPRC noted that these regions are technically complex and require significant investment, special equipment, and skilled manpower, which may explain why many of the blocks remain untouched.
Data from the commission shows that 59 open blocks in the deep offshore represent 27 per cent of all unlicensed blocks in the country. It also forms about 80 per cent of the open blocks in the Niger Delta and its surrounding offshore areas. As of January 1, 2025, the deepwater regions contributed only 19 per cent of Nigeria’s total oil reserves and 12 per cent of its gas reserves.
Industry watchers say these low figures reflect the country’s poor performance compared to its actual potential. While Nigeria depends heavily on oil for revenue, many of its oil blocks remain unlicensed and underdeveloped, reducing government income and forcing the country to borrow more.
Reports show that Nigeria’s public debt climbed to over N149 trillion in the first quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, the country still relies largely on fuel imports because its own refineries struggle with crude shortages. Experts say unlocking the value in these dormant oil blocks could help ease Nigeria’s financial pressure and improve local energy supply.
