The West African Centre for Oil Governance (WACOG) has congratulated the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, on his election as chairman of the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF), describing the development as a significant step for strengthening regional regulatory cooperation and advancing Africa’s energy governance agenda.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its Executive Director, Dr Mensah Kofi Adjei, WACOG said Komolafe’s emergence reflects the increasing recognition of Nigeria’s role in shaping the continent’s petroleum regulatory landscape. It added that the decision by AFRIPERF’s executive committee—alongside the Forum’s adoption of Nigeria as its official headquarters—demonstrates confidence in the country’s institutional experience and its ongoing reforms in the upstream sector.
AFRIPERF, a coalition of petroleum regulatory institutions from across Africa, seeks to promote regulatory harmonisation, enhance technical cooperation and facilitate learning exchanges among member states. WACOG said the Forum’s objectives require a leader with a continental outlook, industry expertise and a proven record of strengthening regulatory systems—qualities it believes Komolafe has demonstrated at the helm of the NUPRC.
Dr Adjei noted that regulatory agencies across Africa are working to respond to changing global energy dynamics, technological shifts and the continent’s transition priorities. He said Komolafe’s leadership has been widely observed within West Africa, particularly for efforts to improve transparency, streamline processes, deepen investor engagement and modernise regulatory structures. These attributes, he said, positioned him as a strong candidate to guide the Forum at a time when African producers are reassessing how best to leverage hydrocarbon resources for sustainable development.
WACOG stated that the election comes at a crucial period as African countries intensify efforts to align petroleum regulations, strengthen local content, share operational data and improve dialogue with global energy stakeholders. Adjei said the Forum is expected to help create a more coordinated regulatory voice for the continent, especially around issues such as financing the energy transition, investment protection, emissions management, cross-border infrastructure development and Africa’s evolving place in global crude markets.
He added that hosting AFRIPERF’s headquarters in Nigeria could provide neighbouring countries—particularly within West Africa—an opportunity to benefit from Nigeria’s extensive institutional memory and technical depth in upstream governance.
WACOG urged member states to support the new leadership and to treat the Forum as a platform for shared problem-solving rather than fragmented national approaches. It encouraged AFRIPERF to prioritise capacity building, noting that several African regulators still contend with structural and technical limitations that weaken effective oversight of upstream operations.
The Centre reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate with AFRIPERF through research partnerships, training programmes and policy dialogues aimed at strengthening regulatory capability across the region. It described Komolafe’s emergence as chairman as “a defining moment for Africa’s regulatory cooperation” and expressed confidence that the Forum would help accelerate the modernisation of petroleum governance systems across the continent.
