The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have stepped up collaboration to strengthen transparency, accountability and regulatory compliance in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
The two agencies made the commitment on Friday when the Commission Chief Executive of NUPRC, Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, led members of her management team on a courtesy visit to the ICPC Headquarters in Abuja.
According to an official statement signed by the Head, Media and Public Communications, ICPC, J. Okor Odey, the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, stressed the strategic importance of the upstream regulator to Nigeria’s economy and called for stronger institutional safeguards to prevent corruption, wastage and revenue leakages.
Aliyu said transparency and integrity were critical to creating an environment capable of attracting investors and ensuring the effective operation of the petroleum sector.
“Integrity in your sector is very important. We need investors, and if we are not transparent, it will be difficult for NUPRC to operate optimally,” he said.
The ICPC Chairman identified information sharing and mutual trust as essential to effective anti-corruption enforcement, noting that the Commission would benefit from NUPRC’s technical expertise in investigations involving the petroleum sector.
He also called for closer cooperation in procurement processes and efforts to identify and block areas of wastage and financial leakages.
Aliyu commended NUPRC for its strong performance in the ICPC’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS), describing the achievement as an indication of the regulator’s commitment to ethical standards and institutional integrity.
Earlier, Eyesan said the upstream petroleum sector remained a major source of revenue for Nigeria, making effective regulation, strong governance and a conducive investment environment critical to its sustainability.
She described the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as a game changer in restructuring the regulatory framework and improving investor confidence, particularly against the backdrop of declining investments in the sector over the years.
The NUPRC chief executive also disclosed that the Commission was reviewing the qualification criteria for its regular bidding exercises following challenges involving some indigenous operators that lacked the financial and technical capacity to develop awarded assets.
She said disputes involving some assets had also stalled their development, adding that the regulator was working to unlock Nigeria’s gas resources while strengthening governance across upstream operations.
Eyesan further disclosed that NUPRC would organise an onboarding programme for successful awardees in October and expressed the Commission’s intention to involve ICPC in the exercise to sensitise operators on good governance, integrity and regulatory compliance.
She assured the ICPC of NUPRC’s continued cooperation and information sharing, saying the partnership would contribute to improved operations and stronger governance in the upstream petroleum sector.
