The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has entered into a formal collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to sharpen its procurement governance framework, with an explicit goal of reaching compliance levels above 95%. The partnership was formalised at a high-level capacity-building workshop convened on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at the Commission's Abuja headquarters, bringing together senior NUPRC managers and BPP technical specialists. The initiative represents a direct response to identified gaps in the Commission's procurement operations and signals a高层 commitment to embedding transparency as a core operating principle.
Commission Chief Executive Mrs. Oritsemeyewa Eyesan framed the exercise as essential to the Commission's regulatory mandate, stating that upstream petroleum oversight demands rigorous adherence to process. "Compliance is critical, especially in the industry we regulate," Eyesan told participants. "There is zero tolerance for indecision and corruption, and so we must not be found in error. Whatever we must do, whatever knowledge we need to acquire, whatever amendments or processes, we must institute those changes as quickly as possible. And the best way to proceed is to be fully aware and properly educated about what needs to happen." Her remarks underscored a belief that institutional capacity must keep pace with the scale of capital decisions flowing through the upstream sector.
The workshop was specifically designed to consolidate the Commission's procurement practices in line with the Public Procurement Act 2007 and internationally recognised standards for public purchasing governance. Eyesan committed the Commission to a structured improvement programme, including the implementation of a fully digital procurement platform intended to reduce discretionary decision-making and introduce greater systemic transparency. "We are already working on this, and by God's grace, we will be launching a digital platform for our correspondences," Eyesan said. "And we will take it a notch higher to ensure that all our processes are digitised. I am making a commitment on behalf of my colleagues—that in six months' time, we will carry out an audit. I want to be able to say that we have met, if not all, but at least 90% compliance." The six-month audit window will serve as a measurable checkpoint against the broader 95% aspiration.
BPP Director-General Dr. Adebowale Adedokun attended the workshop and expressed appreciation for the Commission's proactive stance, urging participants to translate the training outcomes into demonstrable improvements in procurement discipline. The collaboration signals a renewed focus on institutional accountability within Nigeria's upstream oil and gas regulatory apparatus, where procurement decisions involving exploration licences, production contracts, and service agreements routinely involve substantial capital commitments. The NUPRC's push to rejig its procurement practices arrives as the Commission continues to implement reforms under Nigeria's petroleum industry legislation, with procurement integrity increasingly viewed as a precondition for investor confidence in the upstream sector.