Nigeria must accelerate crude oil production and deepen indigenous participation in the upstream sector to secure long-term industry stability, outgoing Regional Director of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) Lagos office, Paul Osu, has said.

Speaking at his retirement gathering after a 30-year career that spanned the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources and the present NUPRC, Osu said improving national production and sustaining the Commission’s ongoing one-million-barrel addition plan should remain a priority for the country.

He added that increased capacity for Nigerian operators, especially those emerging through marginal field licensing rounds, would determine the sector’s competitiveness in the coming years.

Reflecting on his decades in the regulatory space, he mentioned that his greatest accomplishment was contributing to the growth of a system that now provides clarity and certainty for operators under the Petroleum Industry Act.

He noted that the evolution from the DPR to NUPRC had supported investment inflows, strengthened human capacity and was positively reflected in government revenue and the nation’s GDP.

“We were able to build a formidable organisation that has added value to the country and to humanity in terms of developing human capacity,” he said.

Osu described his journey as one built on institutional development and value creation, saying he was grateful to have witnessed the sector’s transformation from 1994 to its current structure.

He noted, “I think for me, that is the greatest achievement, that I have been part of that process to grow the industry from where I met it in 1994 to the enviable height of today.”

Also speaking, Head of Corporate Communication and Media at the Lagos office, Temisan Olatunde Patricia, said Osu’s depth in public affairs and his insistence on excellence had moulded generations of officers. She noted that his legacy was evident in the outpouring of affection at the event and wished him a long life and God’s guidance.

Deputy Director of Services and Administration, Efemona Bassey, hailed Osu as a charismatic leader who energised every room he entered. She described him as an excellent communicator who balanced guidance with professional freedom and said his impact would resonate across generations.

Bassey urged him to enjoy the years ahead, noting that his dedication had earned him a well-deserved transition.