The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has launched a 60-day plan to fully digitise its internal communications and operations, in a move aimed at improving speed, transparency, and regulatory efficiency in the oil and gas sector.
The Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, announced the plan during a working visit by the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Musa Sarkin Adar, to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on February 23, 2026.
Under the initiative, all paper-based processes within the commission will be eliminated and replaced with electronic systems. The Chief Executive, Eyesan said the change would make it easier to track workflows, reduce delays, and strengthen accountability.
According to a statement by NUPRC’s Head of Media and Strategic Communication, Eniola Akinkuotu, the digitisation drive is part of wider reforms to strengthen oversight and transparency in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum industry.
Eyesan said earlier automation efforts have already delivered results, especially in royalty collection. She noted that default rates were high before the commission deployed digital systems in 2025, but compliance has improved significantly since then.
She added that full digitisation would further enhance regulatory monitoring, support faster decision-making, and prepare the sector for upcoming licensing rounds and investment opportunities. She also stressed the need for closer collaboration with NEITI.
In his remarks, Adar urged the commission to deepen cooperation with NEITI through regular data sharing and stronger institutional coordination, saying this would boost investor confidence and ensure strict enforcement of the Petroleum Industry Act.
He also encouraged the NUPRC to participate in the 2026 global conference of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative to keep pace with global transparency standards.
Nigeria has intensified reforms in the oil and gas sector since the Petroleum Industry Act was enacted in 2021, with the NUPRC introducing digital tools to reduce revenue leakages, improve compliance, and strengthen governance in the upstream industry.
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