Nigeria’s chief upstream petroleum regulator, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, has been appointed interim chairman of the African Petroleum Regulators Forum (AFRIPERF), a new continental body created to harmonise oil and gas regulations across Africa.

The appointment, which took place during the Africa Oil Week in Accra, Ghana, has been hailed by the Pan-African Regulatory Excellence Forum (PAREF) as a vote of confidence in Nigeria’s ongoing energy sector reforms under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Dr Aisha Njoroge, PAREF said Komolafe’s leadership at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has positioned Nigeria as a model for transparent and reform-focused regulation on the continent.

AFRIPERF unites regulators from 16 countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sudan, and Togo, to align energy policies and improve cooperation. Its key objectives include harmonising environmental standards, streamlining compliance systems, and promoting investment-friendly regulations.

Dr Njoroge said the new body offers “a rare opportunity to move beyond rhetoric and deliver results in energy governance.” She, however, urged the forum to remain independent, inclusive, and focused on measurable progress.

PAREF called on African governments to back the initiative with both financial and political support.
“With Komolafe’s leadership, Africa has the technical expertise it needs; what remains is the collective will to act,” Njoroge added.

The forum’s creation signals growing momentum toward regional cooperation in Africa’s energy sector — a move observers say could reshape the continent’s influence in global oil diplomacy.