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NUPRC Declares ‘Drill-or-Drop’ Era, Moves Against Dormant Oil Licences
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), has commenced the strict enforcement of the ‘drill- or-drop” provision contained in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), compelling operators to either commence exploration activities or relinquish idle oil blocks.
The Chief Executive, (NUPRC), Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, who disclosed this while receiving a delegation from the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, at the weekend, declared the era of oil companies holding on to prospecting licences without developing the assets over.
Eyesan said the enforcement of Section 94 of the PIA has fundamentally changed the landscape of Nigeria’s upstream sector by eliminating the long-standing practice where operators held licences for decades without developing the assets.
She explained that the new regime has begun to attract more serious investors into Nigeria’s upstream sector, particularly in the ongoing 2025 licensing round, which is expected to boost the country’s petroleum reserves and unlock new exploration opportunities.
“The PIA has opened opportunities for both small and big players because there is now a drill-or-drop provision in the Act. In the past, we had operators who held licences for as long as 20 years and sat on those assets without doing anything. That era is now over,” Eyesan said.
She noted that the enforcement of the provision has expanded the pool of available assets and strengthened the commission’s capacity to organise more frequent bid rounds, with the possibility of conducting annual licensing rounds going forward.
Eyesan also expressed satisfaction with the level of interest shown by investors in the 2025 licensing round, describing the number of applicants that participated in the pre-qualification stage as impressive.
She explained that the licensing round offers 50 oil blocks, but the guidelines restrict each company—whether bidding independently or as part of a consortium—to a maximum of two blocks, a measure designed to encourage wider participation and promote fairness in the allocation process.
The NUPRC boss further disclosed that the commission has introduced additional safeguards to ensure transparency in the bid process by engaging an independent audit firm to scrutinise and validate the digital system used for the licensing exercise.
According to her, the outcome of the audit will be made public in order to strengthen investor confidence and reinforce the credibility of the process.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Petroleum Directorate of Sierra Leone, Foday Mansaray, said the delegation visited Nigeria to understudy the country’s petroleum regulatory framework and draw lessons that could help strengthen Sierra Leone’s hydrocarbon sector.
Mansaray stressed the need for deeper energy cooperation between Sierra Leone and Nigeria, describing Nigeria as a leading player in Africa’s oil and gas industry.
He further sought the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to formalise cooperation between both countries in the energy sector.
He said “We are here to collaborate with the NUPRC at a bilateral level and learn from Nigeria, our big brothers in the industry. We are a small country of about eight million people, but we are very ambitious”.
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Governorship candidate of The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Rivers State, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has called on politicians and other stakeholders in the state not to make the governorship seat of Rivers State an ethnic agenda.
Chief Lulu-Briggs, who said this in an interview with newsmen shortly after arrival from Abuja, also blamed the alleged unenviable position of Rivers State among the comity of states in the country on the political class.
He said stakeholders must avoid a situation where the state would be plunged into another round of political crisis, adding that given the ethnic and cultural diversity of the state, it was necessary to give everyone a sense of inclusion by ensuring that the governorship seat rotates among the ethnic nationalities.
The NDC governorship flag bearer condemned the alleged intimidation of the electorate, noting that the situation has underdeveloped the state.
He said, if elected, his administration would provide the democratic dividends that will improve the lives of the people.
In a similar development, the state chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Rivers State, Mr Success Jack, says his party will run an all inclusive government in the state.
Mr Jack, who spoke to newsmen in Port Harcourt, promised that an NDC controlled government will always consult with the people before taking any decisions.
According to him, based on his party’s ideology of “Solid, Strong Accommodating”, the NDC offers hope to the hopeless and the downtrodden.
“We assure you that we are fully ready. Our party is a platform that is open to everybody whether APC or PDP, we offer hope. Our ideology is Solid, Strong, Accommodating. The manifesto of our party is anchored on the ideology of providing genuine service to the people”.
Mr Jack also stressed that the policies of an NDC government would be crafted in such a way and manner that serves the primary and secondary interests of the people.
“This is not what you find in other parties.What you find in other parties is utmost impunity, absolute impunity, where the people are not included, they are not consulted and so their opinion does not count, they don’t know what government wants to do because they didn’t contribute to what government wants to do.
“That’s not the case here. We listen to the people, even provide the way forward, (and) the details for the way forward because we provide the framework as a government but the people will provide the details because they are the ones that wear the shoes and they know where it pinches them”, he said.
By: John Bibor
The Nigerian Navy says it is expanding its infrastructures and training to tackle emerging security threats
Navy also said the service is aimed at strengthening operational efficiency across formations and units nationwide.
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas stated this during the inauguration of projects at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS) in Onne, Rivers, as part of activities marking the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary.
Represented by the Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC), Rear Adm. Ebiobowei Zipele, Abbas said the projects reflected significant progress made by the Navy since its establishment in 1956 from the British Royal Navy.
“Training and infrastructure have improved significantly to meet contemporary security challenges and fulfil the Navy’s constitutional responsibilities.”
According to him, the anniversary provides the navy an opportunity to reflect on its achievements and contributions over the past seven decades.
Projects inaugurated included a remodelled female trainees’ hostel accommodating more than 500 occupants and an expanded golf course upgraded from one to nine holes.
Others facilities include the NNBTS fuel dump, Chief Boatswain’s Mate House, renovated pharmacy department and a new theatre block at the Naval Medical Centre, Onne.
Abbas described the new theatre as a major milestone for the navy’s medical services.
“Previously, injured personnel requiring surgeries were referred outside the facility.
With this theatre, surgeries can now be conducted within the base”, he said.
He added that a 30KVA inverter had also been installed to guarantee uninterrupted electricity supply at the training school.
The Naval chief assured officers, ratings and trainees that the Navy leadership remained committed to their welfare and wellbeing.
“These infrastructure upgrades show the commitment of the Chief of Naval Staff to addressing operational and welfare challenges promptly,” he said.
NAVTRAC also distributed educational materials to pupils of Community Primary Schools One and Two, Ogale, in Ebubu-Eleme area.
Items distributed included exercise books, school bags and other writing materials as part of the navy’s civil-military engagement initiative.
Zipele said the outreach was designed to strengthen relations between the navy and host communities while supporting children’s education.
“Education remains critical to national growth and youth empowerment. Some of these pupils may eventually serve in the Nigerian Navy,” he said.
He noted that the initiative demonstrated the navy’s commitment to educational development, peace, security and sustainable community relations.
Zipele urged the pupils to remain disciplined, focused and committed to their studies while embracing patriotism, integrity and hard work.
He thanked the Ebubu community for its continued support for the naval training command headquarters and the navy.
By: CHINEDU WOSU
Rivers State Governor, Sir. Siminalayi Fubara says Airport road will soon be accessible only for Airport activities in the state.
The Governor said this recently while inspecting the level l0of construction work on the Igwuruta By-Pass Road project in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The Governor who expressed optimism over the progress of work on the project, saying the By-pass road will reduced unrelated activities on the Airport area in the state.
Governor Fubara explained that the By-pass road was designed in collaboration with the host community to address accessibility concerns while preserving the operational integrity of the airport corridor.
“So, we liaised with the community and created this By-pass,” he stated.
The governor further clarified the objective of the road project, saying it would provide the residents with a dedicated access route separate from the airport operations.
“The purpose of the By-pass is so needful that the community can have this as their own way, their own entrance, while the airport will remain only for airport activity once these roads are completed,” he said.
Providing an update on the pace of work, Fubara disclosed that the project had already achieved a major milestone in execution.
“So far, they’ve done about 65% of the job,” the governor announced,
revealing that contractors handling the project had assured the state government of timely delivery.
He also expressed confidence that the bypass would be completed before October.
“They’re also promising that before October, the total project will be delivered,” he added.
By: Enoch Epelle
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