By Ayomide Otitoju
The Centre for Energy Governance and Accountability (CEGA) has lauded the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for securing presidential approval of 37 new crude oil evacuation routes, describing the move as a significant step in the fight against oil theft and a major boost to investor confidence in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.
In a statement issued on Sunday, CEGA’s Executive Director, Dr. Kelvin Sotonye Williams, hailed the development as “a strategic intervention” that underscores the Federal Government’s resolve to plug revenue leakages and restore production capacity in Nigeria’s upstream oil industry.
“This is not just a bureaucratic approval—it is a major milestone in the fight against a decades-long scourge that costs Nigeria billions annually. It reflects the seriousness of the government and the regulator in repositioning the sector for growth and transparency,” Williams stated.
The commendation follows the announcement by NUPRC Chief Executive, Gbenga Komolafe, during the 2025 Nigeria Oil and Gas (NOG) Energy Week held in Abuja, where he unveiled the newly approved routes and detailed sector-wide reforms aimed at boosting Nigeria’s oil output.
Komolafe noted that closer collaboration with the Nigerian Armed Forces and other security agencies has significantly improved the protection of critical oil infrastructure, while ongoing digitisation efforts and regulatory clarity continue to attract investment.
According to CEGA, NUPRC’s reform agenda is already yielding results, citing the $16 billion in new investment commitments recorded under the Tinubu administration as evidence of renewed global confidence.
“These are not pledges on paper. They are actual inflows made possible by regulatory stability, improved transparency, and the operationalisation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA),” Williams said.
He also commended NUPRC’s One Million Barrels Initiative, launched in 2024 to scale daily crude production from 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) to 2.5 million bpd by 2026. The initiative, according to Komolafe, has accelerated project approvals, revived dormant fields, and resolved licensing bottlenecks.
CEGA called on stakeholders to support NUPRC’s efforts and urged the government to sustain momentum in safeguarding the upstream sector’s integrity and boosting Nigeria’s economic fortunes through oil and gas reforms.
