• Experts call for amendment of EIA law for Nigeria’s energy transition
A Coalition of stakeholders in the oil and gas industry has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an independent review of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) 2025 Licensing Round, citing concerns over the implementation of qualification requirements during the bidding process.
 
The group said the review was necessary to reinforce confidence in the integrity of Nigeria’s upstream licensing framework and assure investors that the published rules governing the exercise are applied fairly to all participants.
 
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the Coalition of Concerned Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry, Dele Olasile, the group said concerns had been raised by companies that participated in the licensing exercise, particularly regarding the mandatory purchase of proprietary geological and subsurface datasets required for qualification.
 
According to the coalition, both indigenous and international firms committed substantial financial resources to acquire the prescribed data packages after the Commission made compliance with the requirement a condition for participating in the bid round.
 
However, it said reports indicated that some applicants might have advanced through stages of the licensing process without purchasing the same datasets, raising questions over whether the qualification requirements were applied uniformly.
 
The coalition urged the regulator to clarify the reports, saying the concerns should be addressed to preserve confidence in the licensing process.
 
It said industry participants were particularly interested in knowing whether any waivers, exemptions or alternative arrangements were granted during the qualification stage and, if so, the basis for such decisions.
 
According to the group, clarity on the matter is critical because any perception that the rules were applied inconsistently could weaken investor confidence and discourage participation in future licensing rounds.
 
The statement added that a timely clarification would support ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector and sustain confidence in the industry’s regulatory environment.
 
The coalition therefore urged the Presidency to establish an independent panel to determine whether the 2025 Licensing Round was conducted strictly in line with the Commission’s published guidelines.
 
It also called on relevant oversight institutions to review the exercise and provide necessary clarification where appropriate, arguing that an independent assessment would strengthen transparency and reinforce confidence in Nigeria’s upstream regulatory framework.

The coalition maintained that a transparent review of the licensing process would reassure both local and international investors that fairness, accountability and regulatory certainty remain central to the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms in the petroleum industry.

Meanwhile, the environmental experts and stakeholders have called for an urgent review of Nigeria’s 34-year-old Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) law, warning that the existing framework is inadequate to address emerging environmental and social risks associated with the country’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
 
The stakeholders spoke during a two-day policy lab organised by the Cleen Foundation in Port Harcourt to examine Nigeria’s preparedness for a just energy transition, with discussions centred on energy, environment and governance.
 
Programme Director of the Cleen Foundation, Salaudeen Hashim, said the EIA process had become obsolete and was contributing to weaknesses in the country’s response to environmental degradation.
 
Hashim said Nigeria must ensure that its transition to cleaner energy does not repeat the environmental failures associated with decades of fossil fuel exploitation, particularly in the Niger Delta.
 
“Does transition mean going green or does it mean being just?” he asked, stressing the need for communities to participate in the process and benefit from renewable energy opportunities.
 
He said renewable energy must be accessible, affordable and available, while strong safeguards must be established before large-scale deployment of new technologies.
 
According to him, Nigeria also needs clear policies for the disposal and recycling of batteries and solar panels as renewable energy infrastructure expands.