The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced 31 companies as preferred winners of 37 oil and gas blocks under the 2025 Licensing Round, despite what it described as repeated attempts to intimidate members of its bid evaluation team.
The announcement, made at the conclusion of the commercial bid conference in Abuja, marked the end of an eight-month licensing exercise. The successful companies are now required to meet all post-award obligations, including the payment of signature bonuses within 90 days, or risk losing the allocated assets to reserve bidders.
Speaking after the exercise, the Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed that officials responsible for assessing the bids faced sustained pressure and threats throughout the evaluation process but remained committed to ensuring a transparent and credible outcome.
She commended the evaluation committee for maintaining professionalism despite the challenges and stated that the process reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector.
Eyesan also acknowledged the support of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and noted that President Bola Tinubu had directed the commission to conduct a fair and credible licensing process.
According to the commission, 143 companies submitted nearly 200 bids for 37 oil and gas blocks from the 50 assets offered during the licensing round, with 31 companies emerging as preferred bidders.
The commission explained that the selected companies would only receive Petroleum Prospecting Licences after fulfilling all statutory requirements under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), including payment of the required signature bonuses and obtaining ministerial approval.
Eyesan urged the successful bidders to begin the post-award process immediately, warning that failure to satisfy the required conditions within 90 days would result in the withdrawal of the awards and the invitation of reserve bidders.
The NUPRC stated that the licensing exercise relied on an automated weighted scoring system to eliminate human interference and ensure fairness. It explained that technical evaluations were completed before the public opening of commercial bids and that no official had prior access to the commercial bid submissions.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said the Petroleum Industry Act has eliminated the era of discretionary allocation of oil blocks, ensuring that the licensing process is transparent and based on merit.
He also advised successful companies to focus on developing the awarded assets rather than using the licences solely to attract investors or business partners.
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the licensing round as a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to transparency, competitiveness, and attracting investment into Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
He added that the government remains focused on creating an environment that encourages exploration, production, and the sustainable development of the country’s hydrocarbon resources.
