By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has called on global investors to take advantage of opportunities in Nigeria’s 2025 oil and gas licensing round, citing sweeping reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021 that have strengthened transparency, predictability and investor confidence in the upstream sector.

The Commission Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, made the appeal on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at the opening ceremony of the 10th anniversary of the Sub-Saharan Africa International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (SAIPEC) 2026 in Lagos.

Eyesan said the 2025 licensing round is structured to unlock Nigeria’s vast upstream potential within a more stable and investor-friendly regulatory environment created by the PIA.

According to her, Nigeria is positioning itself to benefit from renewed global interest in Africa’s hydrocarbon resources, as competition for energy investment intensifies worldwide.

“To facilitate resource access, Nigeria has launched the 2025 licensing round, offering 50 oil and gas blocks across various terrains,” Eyesan said.

“This initiative reflects a targeted approach to responsible resource development. We invite capable investors to participate and help realise Nigeria’s promising upstream potential.”

She noted that Africa’s energy investment outlook has improved significantly in recent years, with the continent now attracting a larger share of global capital expenditure.

“Of the $520 billion projected in worldwide capital investment this year, Africa expects to attract between $48 billion and $50 billion, over 8 per cent of the total,” Eyesan said.

“This represents a significant rise from previous years when Africa’s share was below 4 per cent.”

The NUPRC chief attributed the resurgence to growing investor interest in both frontier and established basins, particularly in Nigeria, Namibia, Mozambique and other prolific African plays.

Beyond foreign inflows, Eyesan emphasised the importance of domestic and regional capital formation as a stabilising pillar for Africa’s energy development.

“As we work to draw in more external investment, encouraging capital formation within Africa remains essential,” she said. “Domestic capital brings stronger commitment and stability, creating more opportunities for development.”

She added that African independent operators are increasingly driving project execution and capital deployment in Nigeria’s upstream sector.

Eyesan also highlighted the establishment of the Africa Energy Bank, headquartered in Nigeria, as a major milestone in strengthening indigenous financing capacity.

“The creation of the Africa Energy Bank, proudly hosted in Nigeria, is a milestone,” she said, stressing that unified stakeholder support would be critical to its success.

On regional collaboration, Eyesan said cooperation in gas development, power infrastructure and regulatory alignment is delivering tangible benefits across the continent.

“Beyond national efforts, regional cooperation is having a transformative effect,” she said, noting that expanded gas and power infrastructure is improving energy access, reliability and affordability in Africa.

She added that platforms such as the African Petroleum Regulators’ Forum (AFRIPERF) are enhancing Africa’s collective influence on the global energy stage.