The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, on Tuesday declared 31 companies as winners of 37 oil and gas blocks under the 2025 Licensing Round, despite what it described as sustained threats and pressure against members of its evaluation team.
The commercial bid conference marked the end of an eight-month licensing process. Winning firms now have 90 days to pay signature bonuses and meet other post-award conditions, or risk forfeiting the assets to reserve bidders.
Speaking in Abuja, NUPRC Commission Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, disclosed that officials faced repeated intimidation throughout the exercise.
“It has been a journey… If you have been told anything contrary to the fact that this process was going to be credible and transparent, do not believe it,” Eyesan said.
“The evaluators have worked tirelessly since June 12. They have been inundated with calls and with threats, serious threats, but they stood their ground. Up until yesterday, we were still threatened, but we stood our ground to say that the times have changed. Nigeria is really open for business.”
She thanked President Bola Tinubu for mandating a credible process and acknowledged observers from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, for supporting the exercise.
A total of 143 companies submitted about 200 bids for 37 blocks out of 50 assets offered.
The successful companies include:
SSonic Petroleum, CFP Pipeline and Flowlines, Dutchford E&P, Attabanson Global, Rosem Energy, Pivot-GIS, Network E&P, Asharami, LexOil, BVOF, Gupsco Energy, Saratoga, Volante, Concept-Reel Petroleum Services, Clinton Oil Field, Nuway Oaklane, Ramec Italia, Blueridge E&P, Up Energies, AYM Shafa, Blackrock Holdings, Funtay Integrated Business, Riparian Development and Production, Nikstallis, Stardeep Petroleum, Dakoda & U, Southborne Oil and Gas, Lanaka Petroleum, Highban Resources and Eyre Energy.
NUPRC explained that the companies emerged as preferred bidders and will receive Petroleum Prospecting Licences only after meeting all statutory conditions under the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.
Eyesan urged winners to immediately commence the post-award process:
“These firms will only be presented final awards after the payment of the appropriate signature bonus and the approval of the Minister of Petroleum Resources in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.”
She warned that failure to meet conditions within 90 days would invalidate the awards.
The commission said the process was designed to eliminate human interference through an automated weighted scoring system.
“The weighted score is 40 per cent. All these things are automated. The computer calculates everything. Nobody is using a pen to write any figures. This demonstrates the transparent, efficient and robust process built into this licensing round,” NUPRC stated.
Technical evaluations were completed before commercial bids were opened publicly, and no one, including evaluators, had prior access to commercial bids.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said the PIA had ended discretionary allocation of oil blocks.
“The PIA, unfortunately for some people, has prevented discretionary allocation of oil blocks,” he said.
He warned winners against treating licences as speculative assets: “In the past, I have seen people go round conferences across the world carrying licences and looking for partners who never came. Those days must be over. The licences issued today must translate into actual field development and production.”
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo, said the round reflected government’s commitment to transparency, competitiveness and credibility.
“The Federal Government remains firmly committed to creating an enabling environment that attracts investment, accelerates exploration and production, and unlocks the full value of Nigeria’s hydrocarbon resources,” Ekpo said.
