KEY POINTS
- NUPRC plans to digitise all internal communications within 60 days to eliminate paper processes and improve transparency.
- Early automation has already boosted royalty payment compliance among oil companies.
- NEITI is urging deeper collaboration, stricter enforcement of industry laws, and stronger data sharing to enhance accountability.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, has reaffirmed its commitment to institutional transparency with a pledge to fully digitise internal communications within 60 days, a move the agency says will eliminate paper-based workflows and modernise its operations.
Chief executive of the NUPRC Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan announced the initiative during a visit to the commission’s Abuja headquarters by the leadership of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, explaining that once the programme is completed all transmissions, approvals, and correspondences within the commission will be conducted electronically to improve efficiency, speed, and traceability of decisions.
According to the NUPRC, early automation reforms have begun producing measurable results, particularly in royalty collections from oil companies.
Eyesan stated that before the agency deployed its digital system, default rates in royalty payments were significantly high, but compliance has improved since the platform went live, demonstrating the effectiveness of technology-driven oversight and reinforcing the commission’s push for deeper digital transformation ahead of upcoming regulatory activities such as the 2025 licensing round.
NEITI calls for deeper collaboration and data sharing
Responding during the visit, NEITI executive secretary Musa Sarkin Adar stressed that closer coordination between both institutions would strengthen accountability, enhance investor confidence, and improve oversight across Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
He urged the NUPRC to involve NEITI more directly in its operations and to enforce stricter compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act among operators, adding that stronger data exchange between the agencies would help improve transparency metrics and regulatory credibility.
Adar also encouraged active participation by the commission in the 2026 flagship conference of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, noting that engagement with international transparency platforms would provide Nigeria with broader insights into best practices and reinforce its reputation among global investors.
The meeting between both institutions signals a renewed push to combine digital reform, regulatory enforcement, and inter-agency cooperation as part of efforts to strengthen governance in Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector.
