The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has announced November 20, 2026, as the commencement date for its 2026 oil and gas licensing round, with 40 blocks available for prospective investors.
The announcement was made by the Commission’s Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, during the 2026 Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
In a statement issued by the NUPRC spokesperson, Eniola Akinkuotu, Eyesan said Nigeria’s oil and gas industry had become increasingly attractive to investors following the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
She urged local and international investors to take advantage of the forthcoming licensing exercise, describing it as an opportunity to explore investment prospects in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
According to her, the commission will officially launch its bid portal on November 20, 2026, to enable interested investors to participate in the process.
“We are going in for another licensing round, and we will be launching our bid portal on November 20. We expect to see interested investors,” she said.
The forthcoming exercise comes amid lingering controversies surrounding the previous licensing round, following allegations that some oil blocks were allocated to associates of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari.
However, both the NUPRC and NNPCL have denied any wrongdoing in the disputed allocation process.
The 2026 licensing round is expected to test the regulator’s commitment to transparency, accountability and investor confidence as Nigeria seeks to attract fresh investments into its oil and gas industry.