The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have expressed commitment to strengthening collaboration to promote transparency, accountability and regulatory compliance in Nigeria’s upstream petroleum sector.
The ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, gave the assurance on Friday at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja when he received the Chief Executive of the NUPRC, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, and members of her management team on a courtesy visit.
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Dr Aliyu stressed the strategic importance of the NUPRC to Nigeria’s economy, noting that challenges affecting the effectiveness of the petroleum industry regulator could have far-reaching implications for the country’s economic wellbeing.
He therefore called for stronger collaboration between the two institutions in promoting integrity and transparency in 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 added that corruption tends to thrive where systems and institutional safeguards are weak, making effective regulatory mechanisms essential to protecting public resources and sustaining investor confidence.
Dr Aliyu commended the NUPRC for its strong performance in the ICPC’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS), describing the achievement as evidence of the regulator’s commitment to ethical standards and institutional integrity.
He identified information sharing and mutual trust as critical to effective anti-corruption enforcement, noting that the ICPC would benefit from the technical expertise of the NUPRC in investigations involving the petroleum sector.
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The ICPC Chairman also called for closer collaboration in procurement processes and efforts to prevent wastages and leakages in the industry.
Earlier, the NUPRC Chief Executive, Mrs Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, described the upstream petroleum sector as a major source of revenue for Nigeria, stressing that the capital-intensive nature of the industry requires effective regulation, strong governance and a conducive environment for investment.
Mrs Eyesan described the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) as a game changer that has restructured the regulatory environment and is aimed at improving investor confidence, particularly against the backdrop of declining investments in the sector over the years.
She said the NUPRC was also working to unlock Nigeria’s gas resources while strengthening governance across upstream operations.
The NUPRC Chief Executive disclosed that the Commission was reviewing the qualification criteria for its regular bidding exercises following challenges involving some indigenous operators who lacked the financial and technical capacity to develop awarded assets.
She said disputes surrounding some assets had also stalled their development.
Mrs Eyesan further disclosed that the NUPRC would hold an onboarding programme for successful awardees in October and expressed the Commission’s intention to involve the ICPC in the exercise.
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According to her, the involvement of the ICPC would help sensitise operators on good governance, integrity and regulatory compliance.
She expressed appreciation to the ICPC for its support and assured that the NUPRC would continue to collaborate with the Commission and share relevant concerns towards improving its operations.