Experts and civil society representatives have commended the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for driving transparency in the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), describing the Commission under Gbenga Komolafe’s leadership as key to realising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda in the oil and gas sector.
The commendation was made during a recent one-day stakeholder forum held in Warri, Delta state, themed ‘Situation Room on Monitoring of PIA’. The event was organised by the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) in partnership with Shafana Enterprises Limited.
The forum brought together policy experts, petroleum law scholars, traditional rulers, students and civil society groups to assess the implementation of the PIA and identify opportunities to strengthen transparency, regulatory oversight, and community engagement.
In his keynote address, Dr. Henry Efemona Idudje of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, said NUPRC has emerged as a stabilising force in the petroleum sector and has made significant strides in implementing the transparency provisions of the PIA.
“Under Komolafe, the Commission has taken visible steps to end the era of opaque regulation in the upstream sector. From transparent licensing rounds to clearer fiscal disclosures, we are seeing improvements in how the sector is managed,” Idudje said.
He added that effective implementation of the PIA could unlock long-term investments and reduce tensions in oil-producing regions if transparency is sustained.
Also speaking at the forum, Dr. Arisabor Lucky, a petroleum law expert from the same university, said the legal and institutional frameworks of the PIA are being strengthened by the Commission’s “visible commitment to due process and accountability”.
“The law is only as effective as its enforcers. What we’ve seen from the NUPRC so far, particularly with respect to host community provisions and reporting obligations, is commendable,” he said.
A representative from the Nigeria Maritime University, Delta State, said sustained stakeholder participation — especially civil society involvement — is crucial in holding regulators accountable.
“NUPRC’s openness to civic participation and data sharing represents a major departure from the past. We urge the Commission to keep that door open,” he said.
Mallam Nasir Abdulquadri, Project Manager at Shafana Enterprises, said the purpose of the forum was to evaluate how far institutions like the NUPRC have gone in delivering on the objectives of the PIA.
He said the Commission’s role in anchoring the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope agenda in the petroleum sector was evident through systematic reforms and enforcement of compliance measures.
“The PIA is one of the most consequential legislative interventions in Nigeria’s oil and gas history. What we need now is consistency and openness. NUPRC, under Komolafe, is showing that commitment,” Abdulquadri said.
He added that stronger monitoring, improved community feedback, and inter-agency collaboration would consolidate the early gains.
Traditional rulers at the forum also praised the Commission’s outreach efforts. Chief Ekeme Otuedon, a monarch from Delta State, said the Commission’s engagement with host communities has helped ease longstanding tensions.
“We have seen more consultation, more visits, and better communication from the regulator in the past year. That makes a difference in how communities respond to government presence,” he said.
A student representative from the Delta State University, Fejiro Oghenegivwe, said transparency and openness in petroleum sector governance matter to young professionals.
“As future engineers and scientists, we are inspired by how regulatory standards are being strengthened. It gives us hope that merit and accountability are possible in this industry,” she said.
Participants at the forum called for the institutionalisation of such multi-stakeholder situation rooms across oil-producing regions, with quarterly reviews to ensure the PIA continues to serve the interests of citizens and communities.