By Muhammad Mamman
Nigeria’s upstream petroleum regulator has unveiled an ambitious transformation agenda aimed at boosting crude oil production to two million barrels per day by 2027 and three million barrels per day by 2030, as the country seeks to reverse years of output decline and revenue losses.
The Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Engr Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, presented the plan at a stakeholder engagement in Lagos attended by major industry players, including the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and emerging operators.
Mrs Eyesan said the agenda aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and is built on three pillars: optimising production and expanding revenue, improving regulatory predictability and speed, and ensuring safe, well-governed and sustainable operations.
“Our vision is to restore confidence in Nigeria’s upstream sector, accelerate production growth and create a predictable regulatory environment that supports investment,” she said.
To drive production growth, the Commission plans to focus on recovering economically viable shut-in volumes, halting natural production decline, reducing losses and shortening the time required to bring new oil to market. Mrs Eyesan revealed that efforts have already begun, citing the recent reactivation of a long-idle asset.
On regulation, she said the NUPRC will introduce clearer timelines by publishing Service Level Agreements for key approvals, rolling out digital permitting and reporting systems, and streamlining internal processes to cut delays. A 90-day fast-track initiative has been launched to expedite near-ready field development plans, well interventions and rig mobilisation.
The third pillar of the agenda targets stronger governance and safety standards, improved outcomes for host communities, accurate hydrocarbon accounting and gradual decarbonisation. The Commission aims to achieve full compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act within 12 months, overseen by a dedicated team in the chief executive’s office.
Mrs Eyesan also announced the launch of a monthly CCE–Operators Leadership Forum, bringing together NNPC, OPTS, IPPG and other operators to address approval bottlenecks, restore production, safeguard infrastructure and advance gas monetisation.
Operators with mature projects have been invited to submit proposals by the end of the first quarter of 2026 under a streamlined approval framework.
She said the success of the agenda would be measured by faster and more predictable approvals, sustained increases in production, improved health, safety and environmental performance, and greater transparency, with quarterly progress reports to be made public.
