By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) on Wednesday set the stage for the 2025 oil licensing round as its Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, hosted key government officials, lawmakers, and industry stakeholders at a pre-bid conference in Lagos.

The high-level gathering was attended by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobori, alongside the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Upstream, Senator Eteng Williams, and the Chairman of the House Committee on Upstream, Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa.

The conference, held on January 14, 2026, brought together regulators, legislators, and industry players to outline expectations, guidelines, and opportunities ahead of the upcoming licensing round, widely seen as critical to boosting investment and sustaining growth in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.

Officials underscored the importance of transparency, competitiveness, and investor confidence as the country prepares to open new oil and gas assets to prospective bidders.