The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has praised the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr. Gbenga Komolafe, for what he described as outstanding leadership and regulatory reforms that have repositioned Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector within just four years.
Lokpobiri gave the commendation when Komolafe led senior management officials of the Commission on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja as part of activities marking the agency’s fourth anniversary.
According to a statement signed by the Head of Media and Strategic Communications at the NUPRC, Eniola Akinkuotu, the minister said the Commission had, in only four years, achieved milestones comparable to those of an institution with decades of experience.
He described the NUPRC’s achievements as remarkable, noting that the reforms introduced under Komolafe’s leadership have restored investor confidence and improved Nigeria’s global image in the oil and gas industry.
“The NUPRC is just four years old, but it looks like a 50-year-old. I don’t flatter when I talk. A four-year-old child will be in kindergarten, but the NUPRC’s achievements are like a 50-year-old. Today, the confidence is back, and investments are coming,” Lokpobiri said.
He commended Komolafe for transforming the regulatory landscape of the upstream sector and aligning it with the objectives of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021. According to him, the increase in rig count and new investments are clear indicators that the industry is now on a stronger footing.
“The NUPRC under your leadership has been discharging its mandate creditably well. You are regulating the upstream very well, and you are enabling businesses. Other regulators from across the world have come around just to learn how NUPRC is doing it, and that shows global recognition,” the minister added.
Lokpobiri urged the Commission to build on its achievements and continue delivering value to the sector. He also advised the management not to be distracted by criticism but to remain focused on the goal of improving the country’s oil and gas industry.
“For me, as the minister who supervises the NUPRC, I want to state here that this is a journey we have to make together. We will be judged by whether, during our time, we improved the sector,” he said.
The minister also acknowledged Komolafe’s experience and leadership in managing sensitive issues such as the Host Community Trust Fund, which he said had helped maintain peace in the Niger Delta region. “I am also happy that there is some peace in the Niger Delta, especially in the way you have managed the Host Community Trust Fund. NUPRC is taking us to a destination that Nigerians will not even expect,” he said.
In his response, Engr. Komolafe described the Commission’s fourth anniversary as a significant milestone and credited the agency’s success to the support it has received from President Bola Tinubu and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
He expressed appreciation to Lokpobiri for his guidance and partnership, which he said had helped the Commission implement key reforms and deliver on its mandate.
“Honourable Minister, we have done this diligently in collaboration with my team. We have recorded several high-impact achievements, restored investor confidence, and stabilised the industry from a regulatory perspective,” Komolafe stated.
He noted that the Commission has developed and gazetted 24 forward-looking regulations that ensure clarity, predictability, and efficiency in the upstream petroleum sector. These regulations, he said, have created a conducive environment for investment and strengthened compliance with the PIA.
Komolafe added that NUPRC had successfully delivered 19 world-class regulatory instruments that gave life to the Petroleum Industry Act and improved investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
Established in 2021 under the PIA, the NUPRC replaced the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources, taking over its regulatory functions for the upstream sector. Since its inception, the Commission has focused on promoting transparency, encouraging new investments, implementing host community regulations, and enhancing Nigeria’s crude oil production capacity.
Industry stakeholders have credited the NUPRC’s performance for the renewed interest in Nigeria’s upstream sector, particularly in deepwater developments and marginal field investments. They noted that the Commission’s data transparency initiatives and regulatory reforms have made Nigeria more attractive to global investors.
