NUPRC fixes date for 2026 oil licensing round amid controversy over Ojulari-linked associates

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, has fixed November 20, 2026, for the commencement of the 2026 licensing round, with 40 oil and gas blocks up for offer.

In a statement by NUPRC spokesperson, Eniola Akinkuotu, the commission’s Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed this at the 2026 ADIPEC event in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

According to her, Nigeria’s oil and gas sector has become conducive to investors following the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

She, therefore, urged investors to consider Nigeria by taking advantage of the 2026 licensing round, which has 40 oil and gas blocks on offer.

“We are going in for another licensing round, and we will be launching our bid portal on November 20. We expect to see interested investors,” she said.

Meanwhile, DAILY POST reports that the country’s last licensing round was greeted with controversies, including allegations that some oil blocks were allocated to associates of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, Bayo Ojulari.

DAILY POST reports that the fresh licensing round, scheduled for November 20, would present another challenge for the country’s upstream oil and gas regulator.