The initiative is being driven by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), following a high-level engagement in Abuja aimed at strengthening coordination between both agencies.
The meeting, which brought together the Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and the Director-General of the NNRA, Yau Idris, focused on eliminating regulatory duplication, improving safety standards, and easing compliance costs for oil and gas operators.
According to a statement by the Head of Corporate Communications at the NUPRC, Eniola Akinkuotu, the collaboration is designed to close regulatory gaps while creating a more streamlined framework for oversight of radiological activities in the sector.
“The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission is partnering with the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority in order to enforce radiological safety in oil and gas operations and reduce the overall cost of operations,” the statement said.
Tackling Overlapping Regulations
Under Nigeria’s regulatory structure, the NUPRC oversees technical, commercial, and operational aspects of upstream oil and gas activities, while the NNRA is responsible for regulating radioactive materials and radiation-emitting equipment used across industries.
Both agencies noted that the overlap between their mandates has, in some cases, resulted in duplicated procedures and additional compliance costs for operators in the oil and gas value chain.
Speaking during the meeting, Eyesan stressed that regulatory fragmentation often places unnecessary financial pressure on investors.
“The only way we can safeguard investments is to reduce our cost of operations, and when you have a multiplicity of laws, the likelihood is that you will have higher costs because each law normally will come with its own fees and charges,” she said.
She added that senior officials from the commission had been nominated to work directly with the NNRA to align procedures and identify priority areas for reform.
“We have identified critical areas on both sides and we believe that, as we collaborate, we can close existing gaps,” she said.
Push for a ‘Single-Window’ Compliance System
From the NNRA’s perspective, the collaboration is particularly important given the widespread use of radiation-based technologies in oilfield operations.
The agency’s chief executive, Idris, explained that radioactive materials are commonly deployed in well logging, industrial radiography, and nucleonic gauging—processes that are essential for exploration and production activities.
He said a more coordinated system would reduce bureaucratic delays and improve compliance efficiency for operators.
“The goal is a single-window approach, where both agencies share information rather than requiring operators to submit the same data twice,” he said.
Idris also highlighted the need to strengthen safety oversight for Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM), which are often brought to the surface during oil extraction activities.
He proposed integrating radiological impact assessments into Environmental Impact Assessments and incorporating NORM management protocols into NUPRC’s regulatory guidelines for upstream operations.
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| NUPRC’s Commission Chief Executive, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and NNRA’s Director-General/CEO, Dr. Yau Idris, recently at the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja. |
Both agencies agreed that beyond regulatory harmonisation, future cooperation would also extend to training, capacity building, and knowledge sharing on radiation protection and safe operational practices across the industry.
The partnership aligns with broader government efforts to improve investment conditions in the petroleum sector following reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act.
It also comes at a time when Nigeria is seeking to boost oil production, attract capital inflows, and improve operational efficiency across the energy value chain.
Recent data underscore the scale of the challenge. According to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, the oil and gas sector attracted just $0.46 million in foreign capital in the first quarter of 2026, compared with $0.12 million in the same period of 2025.
While this represents a sharp percentage increase, the sector’s share of total capital inflows remains minimal relative to broader economic investment trends.
Overall capital importation into Nigeria rose to $10.37 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up from $5.64 billion a year earlier, highlighting both improved investor sentiment and the continued underperformance of the oil and gas sector in attracting foreign capital.
As regulatory agencies move to reduce bottlenecks and simplify compliance, policymakers are betting that improved coordination could help make the upstream petroleum industry more attractive to investors while maintaining stricter safety standards.