Skip to content
Sopuruchi Onwuka
The new Commission Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, has pledged to entrench digitization, transparency, and operational efficiency as the cornerstone of her leadership.
Mrs. Eyesan who held her first town hall meeting with management and staff after assuming office at the Commission outlined her vision to reposition the NUPRC as a business-enabling regulator and restore investor confidence in Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector in line with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
She said strengthening regulatory processes through technology and openness would improve accountability, shorten approval timelines, and create a more predictable operating environment for investors.
The new NUPRC boss also set clear production ambitions, stressing the need to grow Nigeria’s crude oil output and significantly increase gas production to support national energy security and economic growth.
“The goal is that we must enable the industry. We are regulators, and our responsibility is to support the industry through our engagement with stakeholders,” she said.
“My main objective is to ensure that we make a difference. I believe the NUPRC is at the center of the industry.”
Mrs. Eyesan, who has over three decades of experience in the oil and gas sector, said her administration would focus on building stronger technical capacity within the Commission and adopting global best practices to enhance regulatory effectiveness.
She expressed confidence that, with the support of staff and management, the NUPRC can emerge as the gold-standard upstream regulator in Africa. Her agenda also includes sustained engagement with industry stakeholders, labour unions, and professional bodies to ensure alignment and shared ownership of reforms.
On her leadership style, Mrs. Eyesan promised an open-door policy and frequent engagement with staff, describing collaboration as critical to the next phase of industry transformation.
“If we work together, we can unleash opportunities. I don’t see impediments, only opportunities,” she said, while appealing for cooperation as the Commission drives reforms aimed at long-term growth of Nigeria’s upstream oil and gas sector.
