Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has advanced Nigeria’s 2025 oil and gas licensing round to the bidding stage after completing the pre-qualification process for interested companies. In a statement issued, the commission confirmed that the screening phase was concluded on March 16, 2026, in line with the 2025 Licensing Round Guidelines, with successful applicants formally notified.
The announcement signals the transition from the initial screening phase to the competitive bidding stage, where qualified firms will prepare technical and commercial bids for the offered oil and gas blocks.
According to the statement signed by the commission’s Head of Media and Strategic Communication, Eniola Akinkuotu, only applicants that successfully passed the pre-qualification stage will be allowed to access subsurface data required for bid preparation. The regulator said that beginning March 17, 2026, pre-qualified companies will be permitted to lease geological and geophysical data needed for developing their bids.
The commission emphasised that access to credible subsurface data will be strictly regulated, with applicants required to obtain the information from designated data sources and provide proof of payment before submitting their bids.
Industry analysts say the requirement for paid data access reflects the commission’s effort to ensure only serious and technically capable investors proceed to the bidding stage, while reducing speculative participation.
The regulator also directed stakeholders to its dedicated licensing portal, noting that the remaining stages of the process will be conducted digitally to improve transparency and efficiency.
Nigeria’s 2025 oil licensing round was launched in December 2025 following approval by Bola Tinubu, as part of efforts to attract fresh investment into the country’s upstream petroleum sector.
The exercise offers 50 oil and gas blocks across several sedimentary basins, including the Niger Delta Basin, Anambra Basin, Bida Basin, Benue Trough, and Chad Basin.
The bid submission window for the pre-qualification stage closed on February 27, 2026.
With the process now moving to the technical and commercial bid stage, qualified companies are expected to submit competitive proposals before the evaluation phase and eventual award of oil blocks.
Industry observers say the licensing round is one of the most closely watched upstream investment exercises in recent years, as Nigeria seeks to boost exploration activity, increase oil reserves and support long-term crude production growth.
