New NUPRC Chief Unveils Radical Transformation Plan to Triple Nigeria’s Oil Production by 2030
In an ambitious policy reset that could reshape Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector, the newly appointed Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has unveiled a comprehensive transformation agenda targeting 3 million barrels of oil per day by 2030. The bold vision, announced at a high-stakes stakeholder meeting in Lagos on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, represents the most significant regulatory overhaul in Nigeria’s oil industry in years.
Mrs. Eyesan’s transformative framework rests on three strategic pillars: production optimization and revenue expansion, regulatory predictability and speed, and safe, governed, and sustainable operations. The plan aligns directly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, which sets an intermediate production target of 2 million barrels per day by 2027 before reaching the 3 million barrel milestone by 2030.
The NUPRC boss has already demonstrated her commitment to swift action by recently “turning on the light” in a long shut-in asset, signaling a new era of production recovery. Her strategy focuses on recovering shut-in volumes with economic value, arresting production decline, reducing losses, and dramatically accelerating time-to-first oil without increasing industry burdens or transaction costs.
Central to the transformation is regulatory predictability achieved by “running regulation like a service,” with transparent rule enforcement and time-bound decisions. Mrs. Eyesan promised to publish Service Level Agreements for all major approvals and has launched a 90-day fast-track program for near-ready Field Development Plans, well interventions, and rig mobilizations. A digital workflow platform for permitting, reporting, and data submissions is being developed to streamline operations.
The Commission will be measured against rigorous success metrics including faster regulatory approvals, higher and more sustainable production, credible licensing, world-class health and safety outcomes, and trusted measurement and data integrity. Mrs. Eyesan has also established a monthly CCE-Operators Leadership Forum bringing together all operators including NNPC, OPTS, IPPG, and emerging players to tackle approval timelines, production restoration, infrastructure integrity, and gas development.
Stakeholders with mature opportunities have been urged to submit projects by the end of Q1 2026, while Mrs. Eyesan emphasized her goal of achieving 100% compliance with the Petroleum Industry Act within 12 months, monitored by a dedicated team in her office with quarterly progress reports.
The meeting drew strong attendance from the Oil Producers Trade Section, the Independent Petroleum Producers Group, emerging players, and other major industry stakeholders, reflecting broad support for the ambitious reform agenda.
Source: orientalnewsng.com
