NUPRC CEO says 128 Drilling, 77 Re-entry Oil Wells Approved in 2026

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says it has approved 128 wells for drilling and the re-entry of 77 wells in 2026 as part of efforts to boost Nigeria’s oil and gas production.

Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, chief executive officer (CEO) of the commission, spoke on Thursday at the Nigerian Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC) conference, themed “Access to Assets: Empowering Players and Driving Growth”.

“Besides licensing rounds, the commission is accelerating its approval processes. This year alone, at least 77 wells have been successfully re-entered, while 128 wells were approved for drilling,” she said.

Eyesan, represented by Temisan-Olatunde Patricia, assistant director, services department, NUPRC, said the commission was also working to restore shut-in production, noting that more than 788,000 barrels per day (bpd) of output remained shut in across 63 operators.

“Coupled with a suite of executive orders issued by President Bola Tinubu targeting deep offshore investments, the silent transformation in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector carefully place Nigeria on course to meet its ambitious goals by 2030,” she said.

“But these targets can hardly be met without the full cooperation of stakeholders, which includes the mass media. As journalists, your reportage could either attract investments into Nigeria or discourage same.”

The CEO added that the NUPRC is seeking to accelerate investment in major offshore projects, targeting between $30 billion and $50 billion worth of projects for movement to final investment decision (FDI).

Eyesan said the commission was working to improve the transparency of the licensing process, with the 2026 round guidelines expected to set out eligibility requirements, bidding parameters, evaluation criteria and award conditions.

Also speaking, Joseph Tegbe, minister of power, said energy assets generate their full value only when they deliver useful electricity to consumers who pay for it.

Tegbe, represented by Clement Ezeorah, the ministry’s acting director of press, said proposed interventions must address the specific constraints affecting the power value chain, including fuel supply, plant condition, transmission, distribution and payment.

The minister said that investing in additional generation capacity without resolving other bottlenecks “will tie up capital without improving the customer’s experience”.

On Wednesday, the NUPRC CEO announced the commencement of the 2026 licensing round, with 40 oil and gas blocks on offer.