The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) announced yesterday that it has completed the prequalification stage of the 2025 Licensing Round and has informed the applicants who successfully met the requirements.
In a statement released and signed by its Head of Media and Strategic Communication, Eniola Akinkuotu, the commission said it notified the pre-qualified bidders on March 16, 2026, in line with the guidelines governing the 2025 licensing round.
Following the completion of the prequalification phase, the commission stated that successful applicants will be allowed, starting Tuesday, to lease data needed to prepare their technical and commercial bids.
Industry observers consider the 2025 oil licensing round one of Nigeria’s most closely followed upstream exercises in recent years, as the country seeks to address declining crude oil production and attract new investment into the hydrocarbons sector.
Authorities are conducting the exercise under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which reorganized the oil and gas industry and established the NUPRC to oversee licensing rounds with greater transparency and commercial discipline.
The current round offers 50 oil and gas blocks for bidding across onshore, shallow water, deep offshore, and frontier locations in several sedimentary basins. The range of assets aims to attract both indigenous companies with onshore experience and international firms with deepwater capabilities, while also encouraging exploration in less developed frontier areas.
Nigeria has faced challenges in meeting its Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production quota in recent years due to underinvestment, aging infrastructure, crude theft, and regulatory uncertainty that existed before the PIA became law in 2021.
Production levels have remained below installed capacity, increasing pressure on the government to unlock new reserves, improve output from existing assets, and rebuild investor confidence in the upstream sector.
In its statement, the commission explained that prequalified applicants must lease data only from the approved data sources and upload proof of payment before they can submit their bids.
The NUPRC reiterated that it had completed the prequalification stage of the 2025 Licensing Round and notified successful applicants on March 16, 2026, in accordance with the licensing guidelines. It added that from March 17, 2026, qualified bidders would be allowed to lease data needed for technical and commercial bid preparation while emphasizing that applicants must obtain data from designated sources and provide evidence of payment before submitting bids.
Data leasing forms a key part of the process because it gives bidders access to geological and geophysical information required to develop informed proposals. Industry sources noted that limiting access to specific data providers helps standardize information and supports fairness in the bidding process.
The government officially launched the 2025 oil licensing round in December 2025 after receiving approval from President Bola Tinubu as part of efforts to attract new investment into Nigeria’s upstream petroleum industry.
source: www.thisdaylive.com
African Energy Council